Sign in or 
| Version | User | Scope of changes |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 23 2009, 5:02 PM EST (current) | jacqie | 2416 words added |
| Jan 23 2009, 5:01 PM EST | jacqie |
Changes
Key: Additions Deletions
India - Cart vendors sell contaminated fried items in Srinagar City
14 Oct 2008
Daily Etalaat Srinagar - Etalaat News service [edited][iFSN]
According to this story, roadside vendors selling toasted meat, fish and other products have dotted the city and their make-shift outlets always offer contaminated and unhygienic food items.
The unbridled vendors usually sell poison in the name of different varieties of toasted meat and ironically the administration is not galvanizing to look if the items are worth eating. While people have always voiced a concern over the contaminated foods that sell along the roadsides of the city, the officials of Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution department (CAPD) have been in inaction, hitherto.
Indonesia - Handwashing with soap saves lives
12 Oct 2008
IRIN [edited][iFSN]
The Health Ministry cited US Agency for International Development (USAID) figures showing that only 14 percent of Indonesians wash their hands with soap before eating, 11.7 percent after defecating and 7.4 percent before feeding a child.
"We have to admit that the health condition of most Indonesians remains a cause for great concern," Wan Alkadri, the Health Ministry's director for health environment, told a news conference on 9 October announcing Global Hand-Washing Day, an initiative of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), which will be held on 15 October.
"One of the indicators of the poor health condition is the high rate of deaths among babies and children under five from diarrhoea and respiratory infections," he said.
"We call on the public to use the momentum of Global Handwashing Day to make handwashing with soap a habit at home, in schools and in the community where people live," he said. "Washing hands with soap is the easiest way to save lives."
Sanitation project
The Health Ministry has earmarked 600 billion rupiah (US$63 million) for a project that will provide good sanitation facilities in 10,000 villages by 2012. The total cost of the project is estimated at Rp 3 trillion, with the rest to be funded by the World Bank and other sources.
A multi-donor partnership of the World Bank called the Water and Sanitation Program said in a report released this year that at 55 percent in 2004, adequate sanitation coverage in Indonesia was well below the regional average of 67 percent for southeast Asian countries.
Nationwide, sanitation coverage has increased by 9 percent since 1990, representing significant progress towards the target of 73 percent set by the 2015 UN Millennium Development Goal (MDG).
However, at the current rate of delivering adequate sanitation and clean water, Indonesia will fall short of the MDG sanitation target by 10 percent - the equivalent of 25 million people.
Thailand - Antimicrobial resistance and molecular epidemiology of Salmonella Rissen from animals, food products, and patients in Thailand and Denmark
01 Oct 2008
Foodborne Pathogens and Disease, Vol 5, No 5
Rene S. Hendriksen, Aroon Bangtrakulnonth, Chaiwat Pulsrikarn, Srirat Pornreongwong, Henrik Hasman, Si Wook Song, Frank M. Aares [edited] [iFSN]
Recently we reported increases in both the number of Salmonella infections due to Salmonella Rissen in Thailand and the isolation of this serovar from pork products in Thailand. The objectives of the present study were to determine the genetic diversity and antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella Rissen isolates recovered from humans, food products, and animals in Denmark and Thailand. Additionally, risk factors due to travel and consumption of specific food products were analyzed and evaluated. A total of 112 Salmonella Rissen isolates were included in this study from Thailand and Denmark. Thai isolates were recovered from humans, uncooked food, and ready-to-eat food. Danish isolates were obtained from humans (with and without a history of travel to Thailand prior to the infection), Danish pig or pork products, imported pig or pork products, turkeys, and animal feed. A total of 63 unique XbaI PFGE patterns were observed. The predominant pattern was shared by 22 strains. Limited antimicrobial resistance was observed in the Danish strains, and a higher degree of resistance was observed in strains originating from Thailand. Virtually all isolates were resistant to tetracycline. The tetA gene was detected in tetracycline-resistant isolates. Statistical analysis and molecular subtyping identified the combination of travel to Thailand and consumption of imported pig or pork products as well consumption of as pig or pork products produced in Denmark as risk factors for Salmonella Rissen infection among the Danish patients. The outcome of this study might be used as a supplement for future Salmonella Rissen investigations and outbreak detection.
Bangladesh – Arsenic in food chain raises health concerns
19 Sep 2008
Alertnet.org [edited] [Promed]
A high concentration of arsenic in the water and soil is infiltrating Bangladesh's food chain, raising serious health concerns for millions of residents, specialists warn.The acceptable level of arsenic in drinking water has been set at 50 parts per billion (PPB) or 0.05 microgrammes per litre of drinking water in Bangladesh, while the approved global standard set by the World Health Organization (WHO) is 10 PPB.According to new field surveys of arsenic contamination in soil, water and plants in various parts of the country by scientists from Japan's Nihon University and local researchers, arsenic was found in all types of crops in the worst-affected areas. An earlier survey by scientists of the School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, UK, analysed 330 samples of "aman" (rain-fed) and "boro" (irrigated) rice, 94 vegetables and 50 pulse and spice samples for arsenic and found that the districts with the highest mean arsenic rice grain levels were all in the south-west. "Daily consumption of rice with a total arsenic level of 0.08 microgrammes per gramme of rice would be equivalent to a drinking-water arsenic level of 10 microgrammes per litre of water," the research found. Rice represents about 70 percent of the daily calorie intake, according to specialists.Levels of arsenic in the drinking water are so high in Bangladesh that the WHO has described it as "the largest mass poisoning of a population in history" [see < http://www.who.int/inf-pr-2000/en/pr2000-55.html >]. In rural Bangladesh, many wells pump water with arsenic concentrations exceeding 500 microgrammes per litre. Groundwater is contaminated with arsenic in 61 out 64 districts. According to a 2006 UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report, people might be exposed to arsenic not only through drinking water, but indirectly through food crops irrigated by contaminated groundwater."Where concentrations of arsenic in soil and water are high, we found a correlation with high arsenic content in crops," said Sasha Koo-Oshima, an FAO water quality and environmental expert.Several studies have also reported a correlation between arsenic in soil and reduction in crop yields, particularly in rice. Since rice is the staple food, arsenic contamination could also negatively impact food security if concentrations reach levels toxic to crops. "Arsenic contamination of groundwater in Bangladesh threatens the health of up to 30 million people," according to the FAO. But Ehteshamul Haque, chief engineer of the government's department of public health engineering's (DPHE) arsenic mitigation project, is less worried. "Arsenic is flowing into agricultural products via irrigation water, but in very insignificant quantities," Haque told IRIN on 19 Sep 2008. A lot of research is required before we could ascertain how much arsenic is accruing into the food chain and what harm it can cause to the consumers," he said. He also said the World Bank-DPHE arsenic mitigation project expired in June 2007 and had not been renewed. "What we are doing is continuing with the remnants of the project," he said."The Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) [see: < http://www.brri.gov.bd/ >] estimates that farmers could apply up to 40 percent less irrigation water without any yield losses," the 2006 FAO report said. "If water input can be reduced so that the soil conditions become more aerobic, the solubility of arsenic – and therefore its uptake -- would be minimized as well." Another option is to promote cropping patterns that require less irrigation water, which could be done by replacing boro rice with wheat and maize, for instance, which require less water, the report stated."Roughly 50 percent of the present boro acreage of some 4 million hectares in Bangladesh is agro-ecologically suitable for non-flooded dry-land crops like maize and wheat. These crops may be a good alternative to boro rice in an arsenic management strategy because boro rice is grown in an anaerobic [irrigated] environment where arsenic becomes much more bio-available than in the aerobic [dry] growing conditions for wheat and maize," Muhammad Panaullah, a senior soil scientist, told IRIN. He played a lead role in investigating the transmission of arsenic from ground- water to soil to crops under a project of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center and Cornell University.
India - 1 in 5 Indians doesn’t wash hands before eating
17 Sep 2008
DNA (Daily News & Analysis) - Madhumita Mookerji [edited][iFSN]
According to a survey conducted by the Global Hygiene Council, an independent body, and supported by Dettol, a Reckitt Benckiser brand, has revealed the deplorable hygiene standards of Indians. It found that a startling 18% of people do not wash their hands before eating, and even among those who do, one in 10 wash their hands with only water. Given that 50% of Indians do not wash their hands after coughing or sneezing, there is a high chance of picking up germs from the person sitting next to you. The study also says only 10% of Indians believe that one can catch an infection at home. According to the results of the Swabbing Study, (in which the actual level of germ contamination across different surfaces in different homes in India was measured), 78% of the surfaces tested in the homes were found to be unsatisfactory in the level of bacteria contamination. Leading among these was the kitchen cloth where 100% of kitchen cloths were heavily contaminated with illness-causing germs. About 90% of kitchen cooking surfaces, 83% of kitchen sinks, 85% of kitchen taps and 79% of refrigerators had a high level of bacteria. The results are worrisome because most people feel the highest risk of infection is from the toilet area. Only 6% feel the kitchen tap could be a source for germs pick-up.
Indonesia - Schools must monitor nearby food vendors: Study
31 Jul 2008
The Jakarta Post - Agnes Winarti [edited] [iFSN]
It is reported in this story that schools in Jakarta are unaware of their legal obligation to ensure their students have access to hygienic foods and beverages, a study has found. The study, titled "legal study on the consumer protection for access to school snacks in elementary and junior high schools in Jakarta" was conducted in 2007 by a team of researchers at Atma Jaya University's Institution of Research and Community Service (LPPM). The study shows that of nine elementary and junior high schools surveyed in North and South Jakarta, most did not include specific clauses on food and beverage quality in their contracts given to snack vendors to operate on their premises. "Most schools feel that the inclusion of terms demanding vendor quality and hygiene for school snacks will drive them away," said one of the researchers, during a seminar Friday. "Thus, the schools fear no vendors will want to operate at their schools," she said. The study also shows that most of the schools surveyed only signed contracts with vendors operating within their premises, but not those operating immediately outside. Only half of the schools performed random inspections of the contracted vendors. The researcher said the vendors claimed they were not aware that ingredients found in their snacks were dangerous, including artificial sweeteners, coloring agents and toxic preservative borax (sodium borate). "Some vendors even said during interviews that borax was useful as it maintained the quality of the snacks for longer," she said, adding that most vendors were still more concerned with obtaining cheaper products so more students would buy from them. According to this story, the study also shows that schools rarely investigated the causes of their students' illnesses.
Thailand - Consumer perceptions of organic foods in Bangkok
University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna, Thammasat University Birgit Roitner-Schobesberger, Ika Darnhofer, Suthichai Somsook, Christian R. Vogl
In response to food scares related to high levels of pesticide residues sometimes found on vegetables and fruits, consumers in Thailand increasingly demand ‘safe’ foods. This has resulted in a number of initiatives and labels indicating ‘pesticide safe’ vegetables. This opens a market opportunity for organic foods, which are produced entirely without using synthetic chemicals. As little is known on consumer perception of organic foods in Thailand, a survey was conducted in Bangkok. More than a third of the 848 respondents reported having purchased organic vegetables or fruits in the past. The main reasons for purchasing organic products are that consumers expect them to be healthier, that organic products are environmentally friendly. The respondents who have bought organic vegetables tend to be older, have a higher education level and a higher family income than those who have not bought them. The main barrier to increasing the market share of organic vegetables is that consumers do not clearly differentiate between the various ‘pesticide safe’ labels and the organic labels. Informing consumers about unique characteristics of organic production methods, the strict inspection and required third party certification might be a promising strategy to develop the market for organic vegetables in Thailand’s urban centers.
Thailand - Avian influenza H5N1 virus in mosquitoes collected from Thai poultry farm
1 Feb 2008
Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2008 Feb;8(1):105-110 [edited] "Detection of H5N1 Avian Influenza Virus from Mosquitoes Collected in an Infected Poultry Farm in Thailand. The authors are Barbazan P, Thitithanyanont A, Misse D, Dubot A, Bosc P, Luangsri N, Gonzalez JP, Kittayapong P.; at the Center of Excellence for Vectors and Vector-Borne Diseases, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University at Salaya, Nakhonpathom, Thailand, and Institut de Recherche pour le Developpement, IRD-UR 178, Paris, France.
Blood-engorged mosquitoes were collected at poultry farms during an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Central Thailand during October 2005. These mosquitoes tested positive for H5N1 virus by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results were confirmed by limited sequencing of the H5 and N1 segments. Infection and replication of this virus in the C6/36 mosquito cell line was confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR. However, transmission by mosquitoes was not evaluated, and further research is needed. Collecting and testing mosquitoes engorged with the blood of domestic or wild animals could be a valuable tool for veterinary and public health authorities who conduct surveillance for H5N1 virus spread.
Sources and Terms of Use
14 Oct 2008
Daily Etalaat Srinagar - Etalaat News service [edited][iFSN]
According to this story, roadside vendors selling toasted meat, fish and other products have dotted the city and their make-shift outlets always offer contaminated and unhygienic food items.
The unbridled vendors usually sell poison in the name of different varieties of toasted meat and ironically the administration is not galvanizing to look if the items are worth eating. While people have always voiced a concern over the contaminated foods that sell along the roadsides of the city, the officials of Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution department (CAPD) have been in inaction, hitherto.
Indonesia - Handwashing with soap saves lives
12 Oct 2008
IRIN [edited][iFSN]
The Health Ministry cited US Agency for International Development (USAID) figures showing that only 14 percent of Indonesians wash their hands with soap before eating, 11.7 percent after defecating and 7.4 percent before feeding a child.
"We have to admit that the health condition of most Indonesians remains a cause for great concern," Wan Alkadri, the Health Ministry's director for health environment, told a news conference on 9 October announcing Global Hand-Washing Day, an initiative of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), which will be held on 15 October.
"One of the indicators of the poor health condition is the high rate of deaths among babies and children under five from diarrhoea and respiratory infections," he said.
"We call on the public to use the momentum of Global Handwashing Day to make handwashing with soap a habit at home, in schools and in the community where people live," he said. "Washing hands with soap is the easiest way to save lives."
Sanitation project
The Health Ministry has earmarked 600 billion rupiah (US$63 million) for a project that will provide good sanitation facilities in 10,000 villages by 2012. The total cost of the project is estimated at Rp 3 trillion, with the rest to be funded by the World Bank and other sources.
A multi-donor partnership of the World Bank called the Water and Sanitation Program said in a report released this year that at 55 percent in 2004, adequate sanitation coverage in Indonesia was well below the regional average of 67 percent for southeast Asian countries.
Nationwide, sanitation coverage has increased by 9 percent since 1990, representing significant progress towards the target of 73 percent set by the 2015 UN Millennium Development Goal (MDG).
However, at the current rate of delivering adequate sanitation and clean water, Indonesia will fall short of the MDG sanitation target by 10 percent - the equivalent of 25 million people.
Thailand - Antimicrobial resistance and molecular epidemiology of Salmonella Rissen from animals, food products, and patients in Thailand and Denmark
01 Oct 2008
Foodborne Pathogens and Disease, Vol 5, No 5
Rene S. Hendriksen, Aroon Bangtrakulnonth, Chaiwat Pulsrikarn, Srirat Pornreongwong, Henrik Hasman, Si Wook Song, Frank M. Aares [edited] [iFSN]
Recently we reported increases in both the number of Salmonella infections due to Salmonella Rissen in Thailand and the isolation of this serovar from pork products in Thailand. The objectives of the present study were to determine the genetic diversity and antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella Rissen isolates recovered from humans, food products, and animals in Denmark and Thailand. Additionally, risk factors due to travel and consumption of specific food products were analyzed and evaluated. A total of 112 Salmonella Rissen isolates were included in this study from Thailand and Denmark. Thai isolates were recovered from humans, uncooked food, and ready-to-eat food. Danish isolates were obtained from humans (with and without a history of travel to Thailand prior to the infection), Danish pig or pork products, imported pig or pork products, turkeys, and animal feed. A total of 63 unique XbaI PFGE patterns were observed. The predominant pattern was shared by 22 strains. Limited antimicrobial resistance was observed in the Danish strains, and a higher degree of resistance was observed in strains originating from Thailand. Virtually all isolates were resistant to tetracycline. The tetA gene was detected in tetracycline-resistant isolates. Statistical analysis and molecular subtyping identified the combination of travel to Thailand and consumption of imported pig or pork products as well consumption of as pig or pork products produced in Denmark as risk factors for Salmonella Rissen infection among the Danish patients. The outcome of this study might be used as a supplement for future Salmonella Rissen investigations and outbreak detection.
Bangladesh – Arsenic in food chain raises health concerns
19 Sep 2008
Alertnet.org [edited] [Promed]
A high concentration of arsenic in the water and soil is infiltrating Bangladesh's food chain, raising serious health concerns for millions of residents, specialists warn.The acceptable level of arsenic in drinking water has been set at 50 parts per billion (PPB) or 0.05 microgrammes per litre of drinking water in Bangladesh, while the approved global standard set by the World Health Organization (WHO) is 10 PPB.According to new field surveys of arsenic contamination in soil, water and plants in various parts of the country by scientists from Japan's Nihon University and local researchers, arsenic was found in all types of crops in the worst-affected areas. An earlier survey by scientists of the School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, UK, analysed 330 samples of "aman" (rain-fed) and "boro" (irrigated) rice, 94 vegetables and 50 pulse and spice samples for arsenic and found that the districts with the highest mean arsenic rice grain levels were all in the south-west. "Daily consumption of rice with a total arsenic level of 0.08 microgrammes per gramme of rice would be equivalent to a drinking-water arsenic level of 10 microgrammes per litre of water," the research found. Rice represents about 70 percent of the daily calorie intake, according to specialists.Levels of arsenic in the drinking water are so high in Bangladesh that the WHO has described it as "the largest mass poisoning of a population in history" [see < http://www.who.int/inf-pr-2000/en/pr2000-55.html >]. In rural Bangladesh, many wells pump water with arsenic concentrations exceeding 500 microgrammes per litre. Groundwater is contaminated with arsenic in 61 out 64 districts. According to a 2006 UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report, people might be exposed to arsenic not only through drinking water, but indirectly through food crops irrigated by contaminated groundwater."Where concentrations of arsenic in soil and water are high, we found a correlation with high arsenic content in crops," said Sasha Koo-Oshima, an FAO water quality and environmental expert.Several studies have also reported a correlation between arsenic in soil and reduction in crop yields, particularly in rice. Since rice is the staple food, arsenic contamination could also negatively impact food security if concentrations reach levels toxic to crops. "Arsenic contamination of groundwater in Bangladesh threatens the health of up to 30 million people," according to the FAO. But Ehteshamul Haque, chief engineer of the government's department of public health engineering's (DPHE) arsenic mitigation project, is less worried. "Arsenic is flowing into agricultural products via irrigation water, but in very insignificant quantities," Haque told IRIN on 19 Sep 2008. A lot of research is required before we could ascertain how much arsenic is accruing into the food chain and what harm it can cause to the consumers," he said. He also said the World Bank-DPHE arsenic mitigation project expired in June 2007 and had not been renewed. "What we are doing is continuing with the remnants of the project," he said."The Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) [see: < http://www.brri.gov.bd/ >] estimates that farmers could apply up to 40 percent less irrigation water without any yield losses," the 2006 FAO report said. "If water input can be reduced so that the soil conditions become more aerobic, the solubility of arsenic – and therefore its uptake -- would be minimized as well." Another option is to promote cropping patterns that require less irrigation water, which could be done by replacing boro rice with wheat and maize, for instance, which require less water, the report stated."Roughly 50 percent of the present boro acreage of some 4 million hectares in Bangladesh is agro-ecologically suitable for non-flooded dry-land crops like maize and wheat. These crops may be a good alternative to boro rice in an arsenic management strategy because boro rice is grown in an anaerobic [irrigated] environment where arsenic becomes much more bio-available than in the aerobic [dry] growing conditions for wheat and maize," Muhammad Panaullah, a senior soil scientist, told IRIN. He played a lead role in investigating the transmission of arsenic from ground- water to soil to crops under a project of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center and Cornell University.
India - 1 in 5 Indians doesn’t wash hands before eating
17 Sep 2008
DNA (Daily News & Analysis) - Madhumita Mookerji [edited][iFSN]
According to a survey conducted by the Global Hygiene Council, an independent body, and supported by Dettol, a Reckitt Benckiser brand, has revealed the deplorable hygiene standards of Indians. It found that a startling 18% of people do not wash their hands before eating, and even among those who do, one in 10 wash their hands with only water. Given that 50% of Indians do not wash their hands after coughing or sneezing, there is a high chance of picking up germs from the person sitting next to you. The study also says only 10% of Indians believe that one can catch an infection at home. According to the results of the Swabbing Study, (in which the actual level of germ contamination across different surfaces in different homes in India was measured), 78% of the surfaces tested in the homes were found to be unsatisfactory in the level of bacteria contamination. Leading among these was the kitchen cloth where 100% of kitchen cloths were heavily contaminated with illness-causing germs. About 90% of kitchen cooking surfaces, 83% of kitchen sinks, 85% of kitchen taps and 79% of refrigerators had a high level of bacteria. The results are worrisome because most people feel the highest risk of infection is from the toilet area. Only 6% feel the kitchen tap could be a source for germs pick-up.
Indonesia - Schools must monitor nearby food vendors: Study
31 Jul 2008
The Jakarta Post - Agnes Winarti [edited] [iFSN]
It is reported in this story that schools in Jakarta are unaware of their legal obligation to ensure their students have access to hygienic foods and beverages, a study has found. The study, titled "legal study on the consumer protection for access to school snacks in elementary and junior high schools in Jakarta" was conducted in 2007 by a team of researchers at Atma Jaya University's Institution of Research and Community Service (LPPM). The study shows that of nine elementary and junior high schools surveyed in North and South Jakarta, most did not include specific clauses on food and beverage quality in their contracts given to snack vendors to operate on their premises. "Most schools feel that the inclusion of terms demanding vendor quality and hygiene for school snacks will drive them away," said one of the researchers, during a seminar Friday. "Thus, the schools fear no vendors will want to operate at their schools," she said. The study also shows that most of the schools surveyed only signed contracts with vendors operating within their premises, but not those operating immediately outside. Only half of the schools performed random inspections of the contracted vendors. The researcher said the vendors claimed they were not aware that ingredients found in their snacks were dangerous, including artificial sweeteners, coloring agents and toxic preservative borax (sodium borate). "Some vendors even said during interviews that borax was useful as it maintained the quality of the snacks for longer," she said, adding that most vendors were still more concerned with obtaining cheaper products so more students would buy from them. According to this story, the study also shows that schools rarely investigated the causes of their students' illnesses.
Thailand - Consumer perceptions of organic foods in Bangkok
University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna, Thammasat University Birgit Roitner-Schobesberger, Ika Darnhofer, Suthichai Somsook, Christian R. Vogl
In response to food scares related to high levels of pesticide residues sometimes found on vegetables and fruits, consumers in Thailand increasingly demand ‘safe’ foods. This has resulted in a number of initiatives and labels indicating ‘pesticide safe’ vegetables. This opens a market opportunity for organic foods, which are produced entirely without using synthetic chemicals. As little is known on consumer perception of organic foods in Thailand, a survey was conducted in Bangkok. More than a third of the 848 respondents reported having purchased organic vegetables or fruits in the past. The main reasons for purchasing organic products are that consumers expect them to be healthier, that organic products are environmentally friendly. The respondents who have bought organic vegetables tend to be older, have a higher education level and a higher family income than those who have not bought them. The main barrier to increasing the market share of organic vegetables is that consumers do not clearly differentiate between the various ‘pesticide safe’ labels and the organic labels. Informing consumers about unique characteristics of organic production methods, the strict inspection and required third party certification might be a promising strategy to develop the market for organic vegetables in Thailand’s urban centers.
Thailand - Avian influenza H5N1 virus in mosquitoes collected from Thai poultry farm
1 Feb 2008
Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2008 Feb;8(1):105-110 [edited] "Detection of H5N1 Avian Influenza Virus from Mosquitoes Collected in an Infected Poultry Farm in Thailand. The authors are Barbazan P, Thitithanyanont A, Misse D, Dubot A, Bosc P, Luangsri N, Gonzalez JP, Kittayapong P.; at the Center of Excellence for Vectors and Vector-Borne Diseases, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University at Salaya, Nakhonpathom, Thailand, and Institut de Recherche pour le Developpement, IRD-UR 178, Paris, France.
Blood-engorged mosquitoes were collected at poultry farms during an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Central Thailand during October 2005. These mosquitoes tested positive for H5N1 virus by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results were confirmed by limited sequencing of the H5 and N1 segments. Infection and replication of this virus in the C6/36 mosquito cell line was confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR. However, transmission by mosquitoes was not evaluated, and further research is needed. Collecting and testing mosquitoes engorged with the blood of domestic or wild animals could be a valuable tool for veterinary and public health authorities who conduct surveillance for H5N1 virus spread.
Sources and Terms of Use
