February 3, 2004

 

 

Bird Flu Strain In Taiwan Ducks Identical To Vietnam

 

The strain of the bird flu virus that was found in red-faced ducks apparently smuggled into Taiwan's Kinmen County in December is almost identical to the strain in Vietnam that has jumped from chickens into humans and caused several deaths, the Taiwanese Council of Agriculture (COA) said on Sunday.

 

According to the council's Animal Health Research Institute, results of genetic sequencing tests performed on six ducks found on Dec. 21 showed the virus to be a 96 percent match with the virus found in Vietnam.

 

Where the infected ducks came from remains uncertain. The coast guard found them floating in the ocean off Kinmen. Offshore Kinmen County has become a distribution center for agricultural products from China.

 

Two weeks ago, the council put into effect a special production and marketing mechanism designed to keep poultry prices stable. To further alleviate problems stemming from decreased sales of poultry, agriculture officials said low-interest loans would be offered to affected poultry wholesalers and retailers.

 

"Currently, Taiwanese bird-related products are being rejected by many places, including Hong Kong and Japan. Loans with interest rates of under 2 percent will be provided soon," Chen Hsing-hao, director of the council's Animal Industry Department, said.

 

Council Deputy Minister Hu Fu-hsiung said that the public should remain calm because H5N2 cannot survive in the meat of properly-cooked ducks and chickens. Officials said that the avian flu virus dies at temperatures higher than 80 degree Celsius.

 

Meanwhile, a Department of Health (DOH) official said yesterday the government plans to offer free flu inoculations to children under 10 starting in October.

 

Shih Wen-yi, deputy director of the DOH's Center for Disease Control, said foreign clinical records show that 6- and 7-year-olds have a high risk of contracting avian flu.

 

Given this situation, Shih said, the DOH is scheduled to hold a meeting of specialists Tuesday to discuss measures to prevent avian flu from infecting young children.

 

At the meeting, the proposal to have children younger than 10 inoculated with flu vaccines is expected to be approved, Shih said.

 

Shih said that humans do not have antibodies against the bird flu virus. Those who contract the virus, particularly young children, are likely to develop the disease.

 

"Therefore, we have tentatively decided to offer free bird flu vaccine shots to children under 10," Shih said.

 

Taiwan has in the past offered free flu vaccinations to people 65 and over and several other high-risk groups, including medical personnel and poultry farmers.