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        Special Topics ¯S§O¥DÃD >> Wild Birds & Avian Flu ³¥³¾»P¸V¬y·P >>  Update in Avian Flu¡@¹ï¸V¬y·Pªº·s¬Ýªk
        
(Message started by: HF_Cheung on Feb 13^th, 2006, 6:07pm)

Title: Update in Avian Flu¡@¹ï¸V¬y·Pªº·s¬Ýªk
Post by HF_Cheung on Feb 13^th, 2006, 6:07pm

I like to review the present situation of H5N1 Avian Flu.

A. Facts:
1. Up to the latest moment, there were 2 Magpie Robins, 1 Crested Myna, 1 Common Magpie, 1 Little Egret, 1 Japanese White-eye, and 2 chicken have the H5N1 virus found on them in HK.

2. The situation in China mainland has not improved.  there were continuous outbreak in chicken farm and occasional human infections.

3. In the last few days, H5N1 outbreak in chicken farm were report in Nigeria, and the H5N1 virus were found in dead Goose in several European countries.

B. Comments:
1. In spite of the high number of dead birds collected in HK every day, the number of H5N1 case in wild bird have not risen further. This may be a good sign. The "Chinese New Year" effect seems to be behind us now.

2. Although the H5N1 cases in New Territories can be linked to the two dead chicken, the case of the Crested Myna and Japanese White-eye is not "solved". I still suspected that there is a hidden source in the urban area. The bird market is a prime suspect, because of the following reasons. First, the level of surveillance is probably not sufficient to eliminate all possible carriers of H5N1. Second, wild birds have very close contact with caged birds in the bird market. Because of the way that caged birds are fed, wild birds do find the bird market a very convenient place to find food, especially in the very difficult month of February.

3. This year, it seems there are two waves of Avian Flu attack. The first is in November, and the second wave is in late January / early February. Studies by HKU have shown that February is the month that shrubland birds would have the most difficulties finding food. This is probably also true for farmland birds.

4. The possible inflection of many resident birds by the H5N1 virus is a new thing in science, and this knowledge can be developed into a useful early-warning system against attack by the virus. Here, I am not saying that wildbirds are the major carriers, but if there is a source nearby, they will also get inflected. This is already good enough for them to be an useful indicator.

5. The world outbreak of H5N1 is now very clear. There are now more evidences suggesting that wild birds do play some important role. I am talking about genetic studies that have suggested a clear sequence of transmission of this virus. With more countries involved in H5N1, the end of the tunnel is probably not very far away.

6. During this last few months, I realised that our understanding of migrating birds and also resident birds is not sufficient. I hope to see more studies in this area in the future. For example, do we know exactly where the Great Cormorants In HK go in Summer? How about the migrating Japanese White-eyes? Where do they spend the summer time?

HF Cheung

Title: Re: Update in Avian Flu¡@¹ï¸V¬y·Pªº³Ì·s¬Ýªk
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Title: Re: Update in Avian Flu¡@¹ï¸V¬y·Pªº³Ì·s¬Ýªk
Post by Jimmy_choi on Feb 14^th, 2006, 1:20pm

That's the main reason why you have to do bird-banding work !! :D

Perhaps you may need more effort if you want to answer where the cormorants go in summer... But of course money is always a problem. You may be able to get some funding from the government, telling that it's important to find out where these birds go, and thus where viruses may spread or come from...

Title: Re: Update in Avian Flu¡@¹ï¸V¬y·Pªº³Ì·s¬Ýªk
Post by Bob Thompson on Feb 14^th, 2006, 1:57pm

I would like to back Jimmy Choi in his suggestion. I believe that now is the time for the HKBWS to approach the relevant Government Departments for funding into research to the migratory routes of some of Hong Kong's common birds. In particular tracking/banding should start during the winter period before the birds leave Hong Kong. otherwise we will have to wait another year.

Title: Re: Update in Avian Flu¡@¹ï¸V¬y·Pªº³Ì·s¬Ýªk
Post by HF_Cheung on Feb 14^th, 2006, 8:15pm

Thanks, I have this in mind. Satellite tracking is the way to do. Ringing/banding would not be very effective at all. For example, there were thousands of Cormorants ringed at Qinghai Lake, but only several have been recovered. Catching thousands of Cormorants would be a very difficult task. Catching about 10 is much more realistic. Still that need some thinking to work out the details.

HF Cheung

Title: Re: Update in Avian Flu¡@¹ï¸V¬y·Pªº³Ì·s¬Ýªk
Post by Webcreeper on Feb 14^th, 2006, 10:27pm

So you need to find a neutral bouyancy satellite tracking transmitter that is also waterproof up to 30m(?) meters. :D

Title: Re: Update in Avian Flu¡@¹ï¸V¬y·Pªº³Ì·s¬Ýªk
Post by Bob Thompson on Feb 15^th, 2006, 6:46am

If you Google "cormorant radio tracking" you will find literally thousands of sites where successful radio tracking has been performed.

A couple of the sites are listed below

http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/fishbird/01/index.htm

http://64.233.179.104/search?q=cache:MEVvIOU9FZ8J:elibrary.unm.edu/sora/JFO/v067n02/p0205-p0211.pdf+cormorants+radio+tracking&hl=en&gl=hk&ct=clnk&cd=2

http://www.bioone.org/bioone/?request=get-document&issn=0043-5643&volume=116&issue=01&page=0083

http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/tools/telemtry/telemtry.htm

Title: Re: Update in Avian Flu¡@¹ï¸V¬y·Pªº³Ì·s¬Ýªk
Post by Webcreeper on Feb 15^th, 2006, 12:19pm

Thanks Bob! So the transmitters are not difficult to find after all. :)

Title: Re: Update in Avian Flu¡@¹ï¸V¬y·Pªº³Ì·s¬Ýªk
Post by Bob Thompson on Feb 15^th, 2006, 1:44pm

Apparently researchers are able to determine the around of time that cormorants are diving because the satellite signal drops out - all very interesting

Title: Re: Update in Avian Flu¡@¹ï¸V¬y·Pªº³Ì·s¬Ýªk
Post by Jimmy_choi on Feb 16^th, 2006, 12:41pm

I talked to my supervisor this morning about the idea of satellite tracking in HK. You may be interested to hear some of his comments Mr Cheung.

1) Satellite tracking is very expensive, at least by mainland standard, thus you may need to do more work in getting financial support

2) Need to do it on relatively large bird, small waterbirds will be affected by the heavy battery.

3) Perhaps if you will get more support if the subject species is an endangered species, or popular among public.

Title: Re: Update in Avian Flu¡@¹ï¸V¬y·Pªº·s¬Ýªk
Post by Bob Thompson on Mar 8^th, 2006, 6:37am

On the AFCD website http://www.afcd.gov.hk/news/news_e.htm they have a pdf showing the location and type of bird that has been infected with H5N1 in Hong Kong.

Title: Re: Update in Avian Flu¡@¹ï¸V¬y·Pªº·s¬Ýªk
Post by Andrew on Mar 8^th, 2006, 7:54am

Every picture tells a story. 13 of the 16 records are in or around towns / on HK Island - nothing from Deep Bay or even close by.

The other article posted is entitled The management of Brids (sic)!!

Title: Re: Update in Avian Flu¡@¹ï¸V¬y·Pªº·s¬Ýªk
Post by World Cup 2006 on Mar 11^th, 2006, 12:14am

Push Push >:(

Now there is a golden chance to give the government a kick to re-open Mai Po.

Please see the report by Lew of WWF on the other thread and take immediate actions now.

Title: Re: Update in Avian Flu¡@¹ï¸V¬y·Pªº·s¬Ýªk
Post by martin on Mar 16^th, 2006, 1:10pm

Quote:

genetic studies that have suggested a clear sequence of transmission of this virus.

nothing clear at all that I've seen re transmission between and by wild birds.
- just assertions from virologists, not ornithologists

Witness the six ducks at Poyang, with - remarkably - two genotypes of H5N1. Why no H5N1 to places Poyang birds actually known to go? (Robert Webster, say, asserting they carried virus to Qinghai: just rubbish.)
And just because virus in Europe is much as at Qinghai, does not mean wild birds were behind transport. Come on, this is birders' forum - surely knowledge of actual not just theoretical wild birds is important here.

radio-tracking dead birds not too useful.

and really, radio-tracking not a wise use of resources, which would instead be better placed in understanding smuggling etc - which many authorities keen to ignore.

virologists are not all-knowing gods.