Indonesia finds H5N1 in healthy chickens<\/p>\n
Reuters, Hong Kong\/Canberra<\/p>\n
Indonesian health authorities have found chickens which tested
\npositive for the H5N1 bird flu virus but which appear to be
\nhealthy, a sign that the bug may become harder to detect,
\nofficials in Hong Kong and Jakarta said.<\/p>\n
Some species of waterfowl, like ducks and geese, are natural
\nhosts of the H5N1 and do not fall ill from it. But the virus has
\nalways been known to be virulent in chickens, which fall sick
\nquickly and die within 24 hours of contracting it.<\/p>\n
Hong Kong's Health Minister York Chow said authorities in
\nIndonesia had found infected chickens which were asymptomatic of
\nthe virus.<\/p>\n
\"As the virus may have spread so widely (in Indonesia),
\nchickens have now become hosts,\" Chow told reporters in Hong Kong
\non Wednesday. He did not give other details.<\/p>\n
\"We are worried that if there are infected chickens which
\ndon't show any symptoms, then if we are in close contact with
\nthem, the chances of humans getting infected will be higher.\"<\/p>\n
Mathur Riady, director general of the poultry department at
\nIndonesia's agriculture ministry, confirmed the report.<\/p>\n
\"... we have also learned that in the case of the virus in
\nbirds they can be affected but they won't die,\" he told Reuters
\nin Jakarta. \"They even show no clinical symptoms.\"<\/p>\n
Leo Poon, a microbiologist at the Chinese University in Hong
\nKong, said the discovery of the H5N1 infected, but asymptomatic,
\nchickens was bad news, but more information was needed.<\/p>\n
There are many different strains of the H5N1. Many have low
\npathogenicity and are relatively harmless, and only some have
\nproven to be deadly for birds and humans.<\/p>\n
\"We don't have all the information and they could have just
\nfound a low pathogenic strain of H5N1 in the chickens. Or this
\ncould be a highly pathogenic strain but which has adapted itself
\nin chickens or turned less virulent,\" Poon said.<\/p>\n
Bird flu has killed more than 60 people in four Asian nations
\nsince late 2003 and has been found in birds in Russia and Europe.<\/p>\n
Experts' greatest fear is that the H5N1, which has a
\ndocumented mortality rate of about 50 percent, could set off a
\npandemic if it gains the ability to be passed easily among
\npeople.<\/p>\n
In Indonesia, health ministry data shows that six people are
\nbelieved to have died from the H5N1.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Australia is to host a regional meeting at the end
\nof October to discuss an Asia-Pacific response to bird flu,
\nForeign Minister Alexander Downer said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The meeting will be held in the northern Australian city of
\nBrisbane on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 and will be attended by pandemic
\nand disaster management coordinators from the 21 Asia Pacific
\nEconomic Cooperation (APEC) member countries, including
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
\"The objective of the meeting is to ensure a swift and
\ncoordinated regional response to contain any outbreak of avian
\ninfluenza,\" Downer said.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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