from Promed, 22 May:
Date: Thu 18 May 2006
From: Simon Shane
I agree with your comments re. avian influenza (AI) in ProMED post
20060518.1396. It is common practice in Southeast Asia (Thailand 2004) to
dump chicken and duck intestinal tracts from processing plants into
commercial fish ponds. This practice continued even after the disease was
diagnosed in Thailand when I visited operations there. It is presumed that
in China, where nothing is wasted, similar activities contribute to
dissemination of AI virus in lakes and waterways (see Dave Stallknecht’s
work in Cameron Parish).
—
Simon M. Shane FRCVS, PhD. MBL. dip ACPV
Emeritus Professor
205 Landreth Court
Durham NC 27713
USA
[Simon and I were once fellow faculty members in the old LSU Epidemiology
and Community Health Department. He has extensive consultancy outreach in
Africa and Asia. Apropos virus-contaminated water, there is an interesting
WHO Review: “Review of latest available evidence on risks to human health
through potential transmission of avian influenza (H5N1) through water and
sewage,” available through the WHO report
http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/emerging/h5n1background.pdf
on the possibility of spread to humans through exposure to contaminated
water. It is well worth reading. Though it is equivocal on the risks, it
lays out the data very well for the reader to make his or her own
conclusions. It also raises the specter of risks from human sewage and the
need for improved safety procedures for sewage workers. – Mod.MHJ]
[the paper doesn’t include fish farming; mainly notions re H5N1 from waterfowl – not surprising given Robert Webster a key author]
– following this, I’ve emailed Promed, inc re fish farm in Java, w catfish fed dead chickens
Post edited by: martin, at: 2006/05/23 00:47
Post edited by: martin, at: 2006/05/24 01:50