Hong Kong Avian Influenza Update The following article was writ ten largely from an article prepared by Dr. Charles W. Beard with the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association in ml tion in Hi The death of a child in Hong Kong in May 1997 from an avian influenza virus (HSNI) was the beginning of what has become a series of highly publicized an nouncements and events. Since that first death, there have been 16 confirmed cases and five suspected cases of this HSNI avian influ enza infection in people with at least four deaths. At the same time, chickens in Hong Kong were experiencing high death losses to a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HSNI). Concern of public health experts Public health experts are con cerned that this H 5 influenza virus may be the cause of the next worldwide epidemic (pandemic) of human influenza. The two previ ous introductions of new “H” se rotypes into humans occurred in that part of the world. The “Asian NEED YOUR FARM BUILDINGS PAINTED? Let us give you a price! Write: Daniel’s Painting 637-A Georgetown Rd. Ronks, PA 17572 (or leave message) (717) 687-8262 Spray on and Brush in Painting B 2* H $ 25 Power in Numbers 25 S 25 4 SPectAL Update $ The American Raw Milk Producers 2| 2 s Pricing Association 2l 23 23 Meeting to be held at: 2* Monterey Shop, 5? 339 Monterey Rd. Bird-In-Hand, PA '« Wednesday, February 11,1998, 7:30 PM 23 23 25 23 to For more information call (610) 593-2242 (410) 658-6942 (410) 658-4383 or contact Dan Stoltzfus 717-768-0177 PUASe 00*/T M/SS THIS SPCC/AL M£(T/UG. flu” was caused by an H 2 virus and began in 1957. In 1968, an H 3 virus began the “Hong Kong flu’.’ epidemic and variations of that H 3 virus have been the major cause of human influenza since that time. When a different “H” subtype emerges as the cause of human influenza, severe disease and death losses can occur because no one has residual immunity to the new “H” (H 5 in this case) from vaccination or past infec tions. Additionally, the high death rate of HSNI has forced concern over the potential impact of a pandemic caused by this virus. Reports have indicated that at least some of the infected humans had been in contact with sick poultry afflicted with avian influ enza. Both the human and chicken HSNI viruses have been shown to cause severe illness and near 100% mortality in experimentally ex posed chickens (work done at the USDA Southeast Poultry Re search Laboratory in Athens, Georgia). Korn ARMPPA If the Hong Kong HSNI initi ates a worldwide pandemic in hu mans, there is the real possibility that infected and virus-shedding poultry caretakers will infect their poultry flocks. At least one hu man isolate has experimentally been shown to be highly lethal for chickens. Based on the experiences in Hong Kong with chickens and laboratory results, the virus would likely have a more devastating ef fect on commercial poultry flocks. Biosecurity measures would be of very little benefit because infected caretakers would be a probably mechanism of HSNI virus intro duction into the flocks. Biosecu rity could, however, reduce the secondary spread from the flocks initially infected. If the worse case scenario hap pens and a human pandemic re sults, the poultry of the world (turkeys, layers and broilers) will be in grave danger. This includes the genetic stock and breeders. If the poultry industry were to lose the majority of its genetic pool it would have a lasting effect with probable negative effects on the world’s food supply. For the reasons cited above, since biosecurity cannot be totally relied upon to protect these valu able flocks, the only recourse will be vaccines. If the flocks have been immunized against fowlpox, the fowlpox vector vaccines will likely be of no value. That leaves inactivated vaccine prepared either SMOKER, LANDIS & COMPANY CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS and BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANTS ✓ Individual, Partnership & Corporate Taxes ✓ Accounting & Bookkeeping ✓ Business, Personal & Estate Tax Planning ✓ Management Advisory Services ✓ Personal Financial Planning ✓ Computer Services ✓ Payroll Preparation ✓ Retirement Plans 49 East Main Street 24 South Main Street Leola Manheim (717) 656-7544 (717) 665-5979 or (717) 392-1333 or (717) 393-1929 vaccine SftV .!£ 'mural <f poiaia" tvfeuno i-QU. UncMter Farming, Saturday, January 31, 19M-A3l from vims-laden embryonating egg fluids or from the recombi nant baculovirus-insect cell cul ture system. It will take many months to produce and administer the vaccine needed to protect the genetic stocks (foundation stock, great grandparents, grandparents). After this group is protected, the multi plier parent flocks for the three types of poultry should be next, followed by table egg layers, tur keys, and lastly broilers. The fowlpox vectored vaccine can be utilized for birds not previously immunized for fowlpox once the vaccine is demonstrated in the laboratory to result in adequate protection against the Hong Kong HSNI. page 4 of 6 Drug treatment of ponl- enza Experiments conducted at the Southeast Poultry Lab (Beard, et al.) clearly demonstrated that the highly pathogenic HSN2 virus used to experimentally infect chickens quickly became resistant to the anti-influenza drug amantad ine. For that reason, it does not appear to have any potential for use in commercial poultry. That experiment is being repeated with the HSNI virus at the Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory to confirm the earlier finding. Embryonating eggs for If the decision is made to pro vide H 5 vaccine for the world’s human population, it will utilize a very large number of fertile eggs at the 9th or 10th day of incuba tion. The use of embryonating eggs to produce the vaccine is the most likely method in that the newer methods such as the bacu lovirus-insect cell culture proba bly can’t meet the huge demand for vaccine. The only source of fertile eggs beyond the supplies currently util ized for vaccine production will be eggs from broiler and layer parent flocks. I don’t believe that specific pathogen free (SPF) eggs are re quired to produce vaccine for hu mans as they currently are for poultry vaccines. The dramatic increase in de mand for fertile eggs for vaccine production adds to the significance of protecting breeder flocks with vaccines. Reports indicate that poultry consumption has declined signifi cantly in Hong Kong. Consumers more page 5 of 6_are apparently afraid of becoming ill with influ enza from consuming chickens. Since the live bird market is a ma jor means of poultry distribution in Hong Kong, it may be that some consumers also want to avoid contact with live poultry. There is no indication that the highly pathogenic Hong Kong HSNI exists in the United States. Because of the severe disease and virtual 100% mortality it causes, it is very doubtful that it could ex ist in poultry flocks without be- vl j ]\ BREAKING MILK RECORPS! Lancaster Farming Carries DHIA Reports Each Month! ing readily detected by ordinary observation. The Hong Kong authorities re portedly stated that the 1.2 mil lion poultry in Hong Kong were destroyed because they believed they were the source of the human influenza cases. Because of the severe signs of disease and dramatic mortality in infected poultry, it is difficult to imagine that a flock infected with HSNI would be caught and trans ported for processing in the U. S. The ante and post mortem inspec tion of birds at the plant makes the entry of an infected flock into the food chain very unlikely. As a final safeguard, ordinary cooking readily kills influenza virus. In the first analysis, it appears highly unlikely that the consumption of chicken will have anything to do with the infection of humans in the U. S. There was public outcry over the killing of poultry in Hong Kong. Without depopulating a live bird market, it is impossible to clean and disinfect it. Authori ties wanted to remove the live bird market as a probable source of HSNI influenza for humans. The first step in any such program is to destroy and dispose of the birds that may be infected with or ex posed to the virus. Had such steps not been taken, it is likely that the birds would have eventually died of the disease. Hopefully, they will be able to remove all virus from the live bird markets and assure that only HSNI-negative flocks contribute birds when the market reopens. Reports indicate that the Chinese are screening their flocks so that they may assure their negative HSNI status. Avian Influenza in Penn- The 1997 virus that initiated the General Quarantine of poultry in Lancaster County Pennsylvania was the H7N2 serotype. While the quarantine was lifted in No vember of 1997 recent isolates of low pathogenic H7N2 in chickens and waterfowl (December 1997) will warrant further monitoring. The initial response to these recent events is to suspect there is overreaction. However, the hor rendous consequences of an H 5 pandemic in people with a virus that has behaved like the HSNI in Hong Kong justifies overreaction rather than underreaction. Many of the concerns and suggestions con tained in this document have been communicated to Dr. Aronoldi, administrator of veterinary serv ices, APHIS, USDA. She has scheduled a meeting for the week of January 5, 1998, to begin dis cussions. Hopefully, the HSNI issue will pass and no significant prob lems will develop. It the worst case-scenario becomes a reality, thoughtful preparation and deci sive action will be our only hope. % imments
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers