Recent History

The first epidemic case that led to the death of a few people took place in Hong Kong in 1997. The influenza was transmitted to humans from poultry and live captive wild birds which were sold in overcrowded markets.

The epidemics that started in 2003 in poultry farms from Asia (China, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia and Indonesia) caused millions of dollars of losses.

In August 2005 the virus was identified in poultry farms in Russia and Kazahstan, and recently in Turkey.

The infection of humans with the virus has resulted in the death of 65 persons (out of 112 that were infected) over the last 2 years in China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia, according to data provided by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The first cases of dead birds were registered at the end of September 2005 in some locations in Russia, and later in Romania, Greece and Croatia. Because the situation caused by this virus evolves rapidly at world level and that data concerning cases of infestation are renewed on a daily basis, Birdlife International, together with its partners in different countries, has issued a series of general viewpoints:

- Cases of infestation recently registered suggest the possibility that migrating birds might have transmitted the disease in different countries or regions, but it has not yet been proven. The transporting of birds in poultry farms was the main cause of spreading it in south-eastern Asia.

- Up to the present there have been no cases of free wild birds transmitting the virus to humans. The H5N1 strain in not contagious among humans and most infestation cases are caused by direct contact with birds in poultry farms. The risk of a person contacting the virus from a wild bird is very low, except when there is a direct and prolonged contact with these birds or their droppings.

- Elimination or “filtration” of wild birds are actions difficult to implement and most probably they will not stop the spreading of the disease. This opinion is agreed upon by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and the British Government. In exchange these actions may worsen the situation by dispersing the infected individuals and stressing out healthy birds that will become predisposed to infestation.

- The most important measures that need to be adopted in order to control the situation include improving the biosecurity in the chicken processing industry, reducing contact between poultry and wild birds and eliminating infested domestic poultry as soon as possible. Nevertheless strict control of wild bird trade, domestic poultry transport and limiting public access to “contagious” areas are extremely important.

- We totally admit the possibility of initiating a human pandemia in case this virus strain will mutate and make transmission to humans possible if rapid mesures for protecting the public will not be taken. We also admit the important impact ths situation has on the chicken meat industry and the economy in the affected areas.

- Beside the impact on the mentioned activities, the presence of this virus could have serious implications on the efforts of preserving wild bird species. For example it is estimated that between 5% and 10% of the world population of the Anser indicus goose has disappeared because of the recent epidemic in China.

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