Kuwait finds deadly bird flu strain in flamingo

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Link: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L116585.htm

 

Kuwait finds deadly bird flu strain in flamingo

11 Nov 2005 15:13:30 GMT

 

Source: Reuters

 

(Adds confirmation of H5N1 strain, quotes, precautions)

 

By Haitham Haddadin

 

KUWAIT, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Kuwait reported the first known case of

deadly bird flu in the Gulf Arab region on Friday, saying a culled

flamingo was carrying the same strain of the H5N1 virus that has

killed more than 60 people in Asia.

 

Kuwait, like other countries in the region, has banned imports of

live poultry and birds from avian flu-stricken areas of Asia, but

experts said they had expected migratory birds like the flamingo to

bring the virus to the Middle East.

 

Kuwait announced the discovery of two bird flu cases on Thursday but

officials were not able to say until now whether they were dealing

with the more dangerous strain of the virus.

 

" The H5N1 (case) was highly pathogenic, " Mohammad Muhanna, an

official at Kuwait's agriculture authority, told Reuters.

 

There are two forms of H5N1, the second being the low pathogenic

strain which experts say is not known to have jumped species into

humans.

 

Agriculture inspectors found the flamingo carrying H5N1, a few days

ago on Kuwait's southern coast.

 

An earlier case was discovered a few weeks ago at Kuwait airport in

a shipment of exotic birds imported from Asia. The whole shipment

was culled but the virus found was the H5N2 strain that is dangerous

to birds but less virulent than H5N1.

 

" It is certainly what was expected, " World Health Organisation

spokesman Dick Thompson said in Geneva.

 

" The Middle East and Africa are on the flyways (of migratory birds),

and the FAO (U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation) has said that

they expected to see H5N1 in those areas. "

 

Experts fear H5N1, carried around the world by migratory birds,

could mutate into a form that passes easily among people, just like

human influenza. If it does, millions could die because they would

have no immunity.

 

On Thursday, Ahmad al-Shatti, a member of the Kuwait national

commission on bird flu, said no mutation was detected in either of

the Kuwaiti cases.

 

Kuwait, a major oil exporter, has taken several precautions against

bird flu including allocating 5.4 million dinars ($18.5 million) to

purchase drugs for its 2.7 million people.

 

Officials said all humans who came in contact with the diseased

birds had tested negative. (Additional reporting by Richard

Waddington in Geneva)