Commentary
Suspect
Fujian H5N1 Returns to South Korea
Recombinomics Commentary
09:36
October 4, 2008
Initial tests at the suspected farm, home to 5,000 ducks, had given positive readings for the avian virus, it said.
The government plans to slaughter all birds in the farm as a pre-emptive measure.
Although the above comments lack detail, it is likely that the initial positive readings will be confirmed, and the confirmed bird flu will be Fujian H5N1 related to the H5N1 in the region last spring. The outbreak is in the same area (see satellite map) which largely targeted domestic waterfowl. The H5N1 was a reassortant, with a clade 2.3.2 HA and clade 2.3.4 for the other seven gene segments. It was the largest H5N1 outbreak in South Korea repoorted to date and included a soldier/culler who was H5 PCR positive, but the H5N1 was denied by South Korea. Closely related sequences were reported for whooper swans in multiple locations in northern Japan, as well as domestic poultry in Primorie, in southeastern Russia. Recently local media in Russia described a more extensive outbreak, but it remains unclear in the additional regions were H5N1 positive recently, or last spring.
However, the spring outbreak signaled the movement of H5N1 to the north via wild bird infections. Although H5N1 was not reported in northeastern Siberia or Alaska, excessive poultry deaths were reported in Kamchatka. Birds that migrated north in the spring, would be returning to the region at this time, so an outbreak in waterfowl in South Korea at this time of the year would not be unexpected. Similar outbreaks in the region have been reported in 2003, 2006, and 2007, so the current outbreak was expected.
Of note, a respiratory disease has been reported in Prince of Wales Island in Alaska, which is a region in North America frequented by migratory birds at this time of year.
More detail on the outbreak in South Korea (and enhanced surveillance in Japan, Russia, and China) would be useful.
Media Links
Recombinomics Presentations
Recombinomics
Publications
Recombinomics
Paper
at Nature Precedings