Fears of avian flu spreading deepened yesterday after China reported another outbreak in poultry while India said it was testing blood samples from 10 dead migratory birds.
Croatia said yesterday that tests had confirmed the lethal H5N1 bird flu strain in dead wild swans found in eastern Croatia last week. The strain has already been confirmed in Turkey, Romania and European Russia.
There has been a spate of fresh cases in Asia and on the eastern edge of Europe ahead of the winter when H5N1 seems to thrive, experts say.
Scientists believe that migratory birds escaping the harsh northern winter are helping spread the virus, and governments around the world are nervously monitoring their borders and testing wild birds that are landing on their shores.
In China's latest case of H5N1 infection, the third since last week, hundreds of chickens and ducks died in a village in Hunan Province.
China had notified the UN of the latest outbreak near the provincial capital Changsha on Tuesday, according to a notice on the Web site of the World Organization for Animal Health.
"The outbreak has been effectively controlled," the Agriculture Daily newspaper said.
China reported another outbreak among farm geese in Anhui Province on Tuesday and said it had also been brought under control, with no reported human infections.
INDIA PROBE
In India, officials are trying to find out what had killed 10 dead migratory birds in West Bengal state, a state minister reported yesterday.
"We are not taking any chances and have sent the blood samples for avian flu tests," West Bengal Animal Resources Development Minister Anisur Rahaman said.
West Bengal forest officials said that around 40 dead birds had been found in one of the state's five bird sanctuaries over the past week.
But he added that the birds could have died after falling from their nests during a storm.
In Thailand, where 13 people have died of bird flu, the government has reactivated a network of almost 1 million health monitors to try to halt the spread of the disease after new outbreaks in poultry were confirmed in five provinces.
MINISTERS
Meanwhile, health ministers and experts from 30 countries gathered on Tuesday in Ottawa, Canada, to discuss the growing threat of avian influenza.
They agreed a coordinated international effort was needed to stop a possible pandemic, but offered no measures and little help for poorer countries.
At the end of two days of meetings, delegates said in a statement that they had taken "important steps towards security and long-term, sustained political and institutional engagement to address global pandemic influenza preparedness."
In fact, the countries yielded to the World Health Organization (WHO) to lead the charge against the H5N1 virus, with others playing only supporting roles.
A proposal by Mexico and Thailand for wealthy countries to share 5 to 10 percent of their flu vaccine stockpiles with developing countries gained too little support to proceed.
Instead, Canada and the US pressed for developing countries to rely on the WHO's stockpile of anti-viral drugs and vaccines to stop future outbreaks -- amounting to about 30 million doses for 3 million people.
India and Taiwan said on Monday that they might allow their drug-makers to copy Tamiflu without obtaining a license from Roche, the Swiss maker of the anti-viral drug believed to be the best human defense against bird flu, according to reports.
But Roche cautioned countries against producing their own generic versions of the popular drug. Its patent is protected until 2016.
Australian Health Minister Tony Abbott said the proposal would not alleviate the dearth of manufacturing capacity.
"This idea that we could have as much Tamiflu as we want if only Roche would allow people is just not right," he said.
US Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt agreed and said the US "will be respecting intellectual property and patents."
"It should be universally understood that this shortage of vaccines manufacturing is likely to persist for some time because it is impossible to dramatically increase vaccine production overnight," Leavitt said.
The two-day Ottawa conference was the first to bring together both health ministers and experts from around the world, including Britain, China, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa and the US, as well as representatives from the WHO, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, and the World Organization for Animal Health, to discuss avian influenza.
also see story:
Groups demand new WTO rules
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source