Avian influenza virus to be analyzed: official
ROC Central News Agency
2013/06/23 16:39:26
Taipei, June 23 (CNA) Following the first reported case of human infection with the H6N1 avian influenza, any detection of the avian influenza virus with H6 suptypes will be analyzed in order to help researchers understand possible mutations of the virus, according to the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine Sunday.
The Bureau already has a monitoring system that systematically tests animals that are more likely to be infected by avian influenza virus, including migrant birds and poultry. At least 25,000 tests are conducted every year, according to the bureau.
In addition, the current monitoring system has screening in place for the H6 subtype of the avian influenza virus, the bureau said.
The bureau will collaborate with the Animal Health Research Institute, which is also under the Council of Agriculture, and the Centers of Disease Control (CDC), if any H6 avian influenza virus is detected at poultry farms so it might build a database that will help with future disease prevention.
A 20-year-old woman was infected with the H6N1 avian influenza virus, the first human infection of the flu strain, according to a Department of Health official Friday.
The patient, who lives in central Taiwan, was hospitalized on May 8 after developing symptoms of mild pneumonia. The hospital could not classify the subtype of avian influenza found in the patient's respiratory specimen, so it reported the case to the CDC on May 20, according to a statement on the CDC's official website.
Genome sequencing at the CDC later found that the virus was a novel avian-origin H6N1 virus.
The victim was discharged from the hospital on May 11 after recovering from her illness, according to the CDC.
(By Yang Su-min and Eve Lee)
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