May 20, 2005

Avian flu discovered for the first time in embryos from Vietnam

The deadliest form of the avian influenza virus was found in Guangdong for the first time last month on 45 eggs brought in by air from Vietnam in the hand luggage of two passengers.

After sniffer dogs had detected the eggs which included 30 fertilized duck embryos, they were immediately sent to the provincial and state laboratories for testing.

Most of the duck-embryo shells were cracked and the embryos dead. The duck and goose eggs tested positive for the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu virus. Scientists from the laboratory said the embryos were killed by the virulent virus.

This marks the first bird flu infected eggs discovered since several Southeast Asian countries were affected by the outbreak last year as the virus was previously found only on the outside of eggshells.

Infectious disease expert Lo Wing-lok said a possible reason for such export of embryos out of Vietnam is because of a ban on hatching duck and goose eggs until February 2006 which is part of the Vietnamese government's bird flu control measures.

He added that the risk of infection from eating the eggs are relatively low because the eggs, unlike live poultry where the virus can multiply, only carry a fixed amount of the virus.