DRUG RESISTANCE:

Curbing antibiotic abuse

By R. SITTAMPARAM | news@nst.com.my 0 comments

 Educating public on need to stop self-medication

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KUALA LUMPUR: PHARMACISTS and doctors, troubled by a rise in antibiotic resistance, say finishing the course and not taking them unnecessarily should be key in arresting this trend.

Such an all-too-familiar message will be hammered home during a month-long campaign beginning on Oct 16 to help ensure antibiotics remain effective, the Malaysian Pharmaceutical Association (MPA) and Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) said yesterday.

Antibiotic resistance refers to a disease-causing bacteria surviving exposure to an antibiotic.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) had recently highlighted antibiotic resistance,  technically referred to as anti-microbial resistance (AMR), as a major threat to public health in the 21st century.

The two bodies told the New Straits Times yesterday that cautious use of antibiotics was the only prevention to the development of superbugs, such as the carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, multi-resistant Acinetobacter and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

This prompted the Health Ministry, together with MMA and MPA, to launch the campaign, which is to streamline the use of antibiotics among medical practitioners and the public.

MPA president Datuk Nancy Ho said although the Health Ministry continually monitored the AMR patterns, it was quite likely that the problem in Malaysia was increasing following global trends.

Ho said: "Overuse and the inappropriate use of antibiotics can result in the development of resistant strains of bacteria.

She added: "Pharmacists, as part of the healthcare team, will help educate the public on the proper use of antibiotics so that this important group of medicine continues to be useful in the management of infectious diseases."

Ho said she believed that Malaysian doctors did prescribe antibiotics with caution but were sometimes pressured by patients, who insisted on antibiotics even when they had a viral infection.

"This is why a public education campaign is important."

MMA president Dr S.R. Manalan denied that Malaysian doctors relied heavily on antibiotics, and agreed with Ho that patients pressured them to prescribe antibiotics even when they were unnecessary.

Dr Manalan said in developed countries, which had a high incidence of bacterial resistance, antibiotic prescriptions were monitored and doctors were vigilant in following guidelines.

Asked if incidences of AMR were on the rise in Malaysia, Dr Manalan said: "Yes, this is true and it is because of a number of reasons.

"Self-prescription, buying medications over the counter and patients not completing the full course are some of the causes."

The Health Ministry's Department of Medicine head and consultant for infectious diseases Datuk Dr Christopher Lee announced on Sunday that the Oct 16 campaign would involve educating medical practitioners on the importance of prescribing antibiotics sparingly and conducting public awareness programmes.

According to the WHO, infections caused by resistant microorganisms often fail to respond to conventional treatments, resulting in prolonged illness and a greater risk of death.

About 440,000 new cases of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) emerged annually, causing at least 150,000 deaths.

Meanwhile, resistance to earlier generations of anti-malarial medicines, such as chloroquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine, is widespread in most malaria-endemic countries.

Read more: Curbing antibiotic abuse - Top News - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/top-news/curbing-antibiotic-abuse-1.151392#ixzz28DSwjqZU

4 simple steps to process edible birds nest

The Steps Involved in Processing Edible Birds Nests

Processing bird’s nests is a long, tedious and labour-intensive process, which can be simplified into 4 steps:  

Step 1: Soak the raw bird’s nests in plain water until they expand, then separate them into individual strands.

Step 2: Remove all the feathers from the edible nest-cement contents with a pair of forceps. This step is repeated until all the feathers are detached from the entire nest-cement.

Step 3: The nest-cement strands are then arranged into a mold.

Step 4: Finally, put the molded strands under the fans to dry.

Mexico Counts the Cost of Bird Flu

Weekly Overview: 

13 September 2012

ANALYSIS - With no new outbreaks of H7N3 bird flu reported in Mexico for the last three weeks, the poultry industry there must be holding its breath and hoping that the crisis is over. In the last week, it has been reported that the cost of the outbreaks, which mainly affected the egg industry, has been estimated at the equivalent of around US$860 million, the lives of more than 22 million poultry that either died or had to be culled and upwards of 7,500 jobs.

H7N3 highly pathogenic avian influenza broke out in Mexico's top egg-producing state, Jalisco, in late June. Since that first outbreak, ThePoultrySite has been following developments, which have included major disruptions to the egg market in this country that is among the leading egg-consuming countries of the world. Egg prices to consumers rose on fears of tight supplies and the country was forced to import significant quantities of eggs for the first time, mainly from the US and under a quota system.

Berakhir lah kegemilangan perladangan burung walet dalam budget 2013

Tiada apa lagi yang boleh diharap daripada peruntukkan kerajaan untuk industri ini kerana budget 2013 sudah tidak mengambil kira lagi kewujudan industri burung walet di malaysia. Bagi mereka yang berharap untuk mendapat habuan daripada peruntukkan kerajaan sudah tentu berasa kecewa apabila tidak ada satu patah perkataan pun menyebut tentang burung walet yang begitu disanjung sebelum ini.
Bagi saya dan usahawan burung walet lain tidak begitu gentar dengan situasi ini kerana kami adalah usahawan tulen yang mana tidak pernah mendapat bantuan daripada pihak kerajaan untuk meneroka industri multi- million ini.

Ekspo China-Asean (CAEXPO) ke-7

NANNING (China), 25 Okt (Bernama)-- Peserta pameran Malaysia berjaya meraih jualan segera bernilai RM23.1 juta dengan RM42.6 juta lagi nilai jualan sedang dibincangkan di Ekspo China-Asean (CAEXPO) ke-7 yang berakhir Ahad lepas.

Jurucakap Perbadanan Pembangunan Perdagangan Luar Malaysia (MATRADE), Mohd Salleh memberitahu media Malaysia: "Pelaburan berpotensi bernilai RM129 juta dijangka mengalir masuk ke Malaysia sekiranya beberapa rundingan yang dibincangkan semasa ekspo lima hari itu menjadi kenyataan.

"Antara pelaburan adalah dalam sektor pertanian dan perkhidmatan penjagaan kesihatan, termasuk penubuhan kilang kenaf oleh sebuah syarikat Korea.

"Jualan segera di ekspo tersebut ialah bagi makanan dan minuman, sarang burung, bahagian-bahagian elektrik, motosikal, penapis air, perabot, pakaian, kosmetik, herba dan produk penjagaan kesihatan, barang kemas dan bahan binaan."

Tahun ini, 101 syarikat Malaysia menyertai CAEXPO ke-7, dengan kira-kira 128 gerai pameran berbanding 50 semasa ekspo sulung pada 2003.Pada CAEXPO kali ini 5 produk dari malaysia mendapat permintaan tinggi iaitu sarang burung, kopi,jus buahan, pendidikana dan francais

Kopi putih dan sarang burung Malaysia adalah daya tarikan utama di pavilion Malaysia.
Malaysia memenangi tiga anugerah di CAEXPO tersebut bagi Anugerah Penganjur Peserta Pameran Terbaik, Anugerah Galleria Jenama Terbaik dan Anugerah Penganjur Sektor Perindustrian Terbaik (Produk asas tani dan barangan makanan).



Anugerah itu disampaikan kepada Datuk Noharuddin Nordin, Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif (CEO) MATRADE di Mesyuarat Rasmi Kanan yang diadakan di Liyuan Country Resort, Nanning.

Terdahulu, Noharuddin menyaksikan permeteraian Memorandum Perjanjian (MOA) antara syarikat penjagaan kulit kepala Pulau Pinang, Polygon Traders Sdn Bhd dan Uf(Nanning) Biotech Pte Ltd.

Di bawah MOA itu, Uf(Nanning) Biotech, dilantik sebagai pengedar tunggal bagi produk memelihara kulit kepala "Mau Plus" Polygon di China.

Different people have different opinions of 3 entrance holes

To me more than one entrance  is good but not the one shown in the above picture. This is a bullshit design. The reason is we provide more chances to the birds to enter and fly out from our Bh. I have 2 prooves of my latest design of Bh which gives better significance to the populations of the birds. Despite the disadvantages what is important here is the birds population.

Bagi saya Lebih daripada satu lubang masuk memberi kesan yang sangat ketara keatas populasi burung walet menginap dalam Rbw. Pengalaman dalam perladangan burung walet memberi kemahiran teknikal yang berbeza kepada individu dimana susun atur lubang masuk burung adalah sangat penting bukanya bilangan lubang masuk. Sudah tentu apa perkara sekalipun mempunyai kesan negatif atau side effect tetapi mana lebih penting kadar populasi yang cepat atau asyik memikirkan sedikit kerugian,



Komen daripada otai tentang lubang masuk burung lebih daripada satu

There were 3 entrance holes in this Bh, different people have different opinions. For me, I always believe in 1 entrance hole. The reason is it would help reduce the time of adaptation and speed up bird population. Secondly, too many entrance holes would cause movement of air which is disliked by birds. It confuses the birds, especially young birds. With too many openings, it shows that the person is indecisive on the best entrance hole placement.

The External tweeters on each entrance hole will confuse the birds, especially new visitors. Often, you could see them flying in from one of the entrance holes and flying out from the others.

Lawatan ke Rbw yang kurang sambutan setelah hampir 3 tahun

Beberapa pertunjuk yang dikenalpasti menyumbangkan kepada kegagalan untuk menambah bilangan burung walet ke dalam Rbw yang telah dilawati di tempoh hari.

Lubang burung masuk ke-2 selepas void jenis L-shape kurang disukai walet kerana memerlukan kemahiran dan extra tenaga untuk melepasi halangan ini. Walaupun begitu ada yang berjaya menggunakan design jenis ini tapi hanya minoriti yang mana kejayaan itu banyak dipengaruhi oleh faktor penyokong tambahan. Anda mesti tahu faktor penyokong dahulu sebelum membina design jenis ini. 

Elemen diatas adalah faktor kritikal kepada kegagalan rumah burung yang berusia hampir 3 tahun ini. Sekiranya anda kurang pengetahuan dalam Animal science ia tidak memberi apa - apa kerisauan tentang kewujudan elemen ini.

Elemen kegagalan juga wujud pada lantai roving room

walaupun kaedah ini baik untuk menambah kelembapan dan menurunkan suhu dalam Rbw tapi ia  memberi kesan sampingan yang melampau kepada konsentrasi dan kedamaian burung walet ketika waktu rehat sama ada pada siang dan malam. keamanan dan kedamaian adalah keperluan benda hidup. Sebarang gangguan bunyi yang melampau memberi kesan buruk kepada keberkesanan suara internal dan external.

Oleh kerana Rbw ini jenis Rbw Budget maka terdapat beberapa perkara lagi yang menjadi faktor penyebab tambahan kepada kegagalan mempopulasi walet dalam masa lebih kurang 36 bulan. Saya sedaya upaya menolong owner rbw ini untuk meningkatkan populasi walet dalam masa terdekat, berdasarkan pengalaman mempopulasi Rbw budget sebelum ini..Insya Allah

1pengalaman 1Rbw

Penilaian adalah proses yang memerlukan kemahiran yang tinggi pada seseorang peminat burung walet dan ia melibatkan 3 perkara;  I. Masa ( tempoh tertentu ) II. Mengawal pemboleh ubah ( perkara2 yang boleh berubah III. Membuat keputusan ( saranan/tindakan susulan ). 
I. Masa -  tempoh masa untuk membuat penilaian bergantung kepada pengalaman anda, 1 minggu, 1bulan, 6 bulan atau 1 tahun?.
II. Mengawal pemboleh ubah -  terdapat banyak perkara  boleh berubah yang mempengaruhi penilaian sebelum dan semasa  membuat penilaian contoh Predator, waktu perayaan, suhu, musim, bilangan kenderaan dan banyak lagi.
III. Membuat keputusan - Apakah harus anda lakukan setelah membuat penilaian, iaitu tunggu dan lihat, menambah tempoh tunggu dan lihat, terus membuat sesuatu yang di fikirkan perlu atau do nothing .
Bagi menjadi penilaian rumah burung walet yang baik, seseorang itu mesti mempunyai asas sains haiwan ,kemahiran teknikal dan pengalaman dalam bidang perladangan burung walet.

Satu pengalaman, 1RBW

Langkah susulan kepada inference ialah Tindakan dimana kemahiran ini jarang dimiliki oleh kebanyakan  "peminat burung walet " mereka hanya pandai bercerita di kedai kopi atau disebelah rbw atau ditempat kenduri atau dimana saja yang berakhir dengan  kebuntuan bagi proses menambah baik atau membaiki kelemahan yang terdapat pada sesebuah  rumah burung walet ( Rbw ).  Perlu dingat, golongan ini hanya "pandai cakap " semata-mata,    kerana ingin nampak OUTSTANDING dalam perladangan burung walet sebenarnya mereka ini adalah golongan " Habuk pun Tarak".
Bagi menghasilkan Tindakan yang betul atau hampir2 betul  seseorang itu mestilah mendampingi mereka yang berpengalaman membaiki rumah burung yang bermasalah bukan berbaik- baik dengan golongan   "miskin pengalaman dan pengetahuan mungkin juga miskin harta " untuk menajam seni memikat burung walet. Pengalaman dan pengetahuan golongan yang  "lama " dalam bidang ini sangat- sangat significant untuk memecah kebuntuan kenapa burung walet sama ada tidak masuk atau tidak tidur atau tidak bertambah bilangan masuk atau tidak bersarang atau kesemua faktor yang dinyatakan tadi.
Mereka yang berpengalaman dalam bidang perladangan burung walet bukan saja memiliki segedung fakta tetapi memiliki juga segedung seni memikat burung walet yang sangat berbeza dengan satu lagi golongan yang mempunyai segedung teori atau logik akal semata- mata.
Setelah menghasilkan Tindakan, mereka yang berpengalaman juga memiliki satu lagi kemahiran iaitu...

Satu pengalaman, satu RBW

Salam. Oh banyaknya burung, hitam duk main- main kat luar Rbw  milik seorang tauke cina kata seorang lelaki separuh umur, betul- betul, saya nampak pagi semalam, mesti sudah banyak sarang celah anaknya yang baru berjina-jinak dengan perladangan burung walet. Ini adalah inference yang biasa kita dengar daripada orang awam apabila mereka berhadapan dengan pengalaman ini untuk kali pertama dan seterusnya. Hakikat sebenar Rbw yang dimaksudkan itu sudah berkali kali membuat pengubahsuaian/Revamp kerana tauke tersebut sangat tidak berpuas hati dengan prestasi kewujudan sarang burung walet iaitu 8 sarang dalam masa 24 bulan. Kemampuan membuat inference daripada pemerhatian adalah skill asas  pemilik atau consultan Rbw untuk terus hebat atau competitive dalam seni memikat  burung supaya  burung walet MASUK, TIDUR , BERSARANG dan BERKEMBANG BIAK. Perkara yang kedua  sebagai susulan daripada inference ialah TINDAKAN yang jarang.........

New bird flu strain develops in Vietnam

Xinhua | 2012-9-10 19:31:32 By Agencies

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A new bird flu strain is developing unexpectedly in Vietnam and causing great concern to the government and public.

According to the National Animal Health Diagnosis Center, the new strain of bird flu virus, which is suspected to have higher risk of causing human death than previously known ones, appeared in July and widely spread in August in Vietnam's seven central and northern provinces.

Hoang Van Nam, head of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD)'s Animal Health Department, said that this virus, thought to belong to H5N1 - Clade 2.3.2.1, is different from the two strains of A and B that appeared in Vietnam in 2011, due to its higher pathogenic risk.

According to the department, as of Sept.6, the new virus strain has attacked seven central and northern cities and provinces, including Hai Phong, Thanh Hoa, Ha Tinh, Ninh Binh, Nam Dinh, Bac Can and Quang Ngai, and over 180,000 infected poultry have been culled so far this year.

Apart from the newly-found strain of the virus, the bird flu has developed unexpectedly in the country so far this year. Normally, avian influenza appears shortly before or after the traditional lunar Tet holidays (which often falls in late January and early February). However, it has appeared since July this year and fast spread without warning. In the Central Highlands Dak Lak province, about 30 influenza epidemic spots were found in only one day.

According to local experts, the epidemic would become more complicated once it reaches its peak in the coming months.

MARD has instructed the department to strictly supervise the import of poultry, especially breeding chicks, which are believed to make the suspected new strain virus to spread faster.

MARD also ordered the veterinary sector to soon report the preventive possibility of the currently-used vaccine against the new strain virus, as well as encouraged relevant agencies to use domestically-produced vaccine so as to take the initiative in preventing the epidemic.

Meanwhile, according to the Central Epidemic Prevention Institute, since August last year the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned the change of the virus A/H5N1

Clade 2.3.2 in many Asian countries, including Vietnam, and that change is usual during the natural evolution of the virus.

This is a small change of the virus that creates a new strain, not yet a new virus. However, close supervision of the virus which is spreading among poultry should be taken so as to discover its change and set forth an appropriate strategy to fight the epidemic and protect human health, the Institute Director Nguyen Tran Hien told local media late last week.

Through strict supervision on human flu infected cases, we found nothing unusual. The most concern is that the virus A/H5N1 is spreading among poultry, and it can continue to have small changes, re-arrange the gene, and reunite with virus circulated among animals and human beings to become a new highly-toxic strain and transmittable to human beings, Hien said.

He also suggested the veterinary sector closely cooperate with the health service to enhance supervision on the avian flu among poultry and human beings as well as apply preventive measures so as to prevent the spreading of the disease among poultry and from poultry to human beings.

As of Sept.6, four cases of A/H5N1 infection had been recorded with two deaths in Vietnam, but the new strain of bird flu virus has not yet been found in humans, reported MARD.

Protokol export sarang burung walet Indonesia

Pasal 2
Sarang burung walet yang dapat diekspor ke
Republik Rakyat China hanya sarang burung
walet yang termasuk dalam Pos Tarif/HS
ex. 0410.00.10.00.
Sarang burung walet sebagaimana dimaksud pada
ayat (1) harus memenuhi persyaratan:
telah memenuhi proses seleksi, pencucian,
pembersihan dari kotoran, pemanasan sama atau
lebih dari 7O'C (tduh puluh derajat celcius)
dalam waktu sekurang-kurangnya 3,5 (tiga koma
lima) detik; dan
dibungkus dalam kemasan dan dicantumkan
label yang memuat informasi dalam bahasa
Indonesia, bahasa inggris, dan bahasa China
sekurang-kurangnya mengenai nama dan berat
produk, nomor registrasi dan nama produsen
peternak walet, nama, alamat, nomor registrasi
produsen, persyaratan penyimpanan, tanggal
produksi, nomor kontrol veteriner (NKV) dan
informasi terkait lainnya.

Syarat export sarang burung walet indonesia mudah saja, perlu pasteur iatu memanas sarang yang telah diproses pada suhu 70'C keatas selama 3.5 minit untuk membunuh bakteria. Proses pasteurization adalah sama bagi penghasilan susu kotak UHT yang mana dapat membunuh bakteria batuk kering/tuberkolosis.

Breeding biology of swiftlet in Penang Malaysia

A colony of the Edible-nest Swiftlet Aerodramus fuciphagus nesting in a Chinese shophouse in Penang, Peninsular Malaysia, was studied for seven months. Birds bred throughout, but laying was concentrated in the period October to February ( Keadaan sama seperti di pantai timur malaysia, kelantan, terengganu,Pahang dan juga utara malaysia ). Incubation and fledging periods were 23 ± 3 days and 43 + 6 days, respectively. Most young hatched during the dry season. The normal clutch size was two, with many birds laying second clutches (75%) and some third clutches (15-4%) using the same nest. Clutch size showed no variation with clutch order or month.

The overall hatching success was 69-0 %, most losses caused by eggs falling from or with the nest. Fledging success was similar for broods of two (625%) and broods of one (59-4%), so that the former were twice as productive. The main loss of chicks occurred when they fell from the nest and were eaten by mammalian predators. There was a tendency for breeding success to decline with  successive clutches, but not with month, being highest in November (53-6 %) and February (55-6 %).

Translator
1    Incubation.......  20 hingga 26 hari
2     clutches........           2 biji telor
3    fledging periods ( terbang meninggalkan sarang ).........   .            43 hingga 49 hari 
4. Kadar tetasan telor 69 peratus
5. kadar burung ulangi bertelor pada sarang sama   75%           .   kali kedua dan 15% untuk kali ke tiga.  
6 Brood ( Anak avian sehingga berbulu pelepah ) Kadar  hidup sama bagi tetasan 2 ekor atau 1 ekor

Increase in Viet Nam H5N1 Outbreaks

06 September 2012

VIET NAM - Three further outbreaks of avian influenza virus H5N1 have been reported .

The new outbreaks were reported by Dr Nam Hoang Van, Director General, Department of Animal Health, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Hanoi, Vietnam.

The outbreaks occurred in the following regions:

• Lien Loc, Hau Loc, THANH HOA
• Hoa Loc, Hau Loc, THANH HOA
• Hanh Thuan, Nghia Hanh, QUANG NGAI

In total, 153 birds showed symptoms and 53 died of a total of 2,205 susceptible birds, all described as 'village' poultry; 2,152 birds were destroyed.

Further H5N1 Outbreaks in Viet Nam

29 August 2012

VIET NAM - Three further outbreaks of avian influenza virus H5N1 have been reported to the .

The new outbreaks were reported   by Dr Nam Hoang Van, Directo
General, Department of Animal Health, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Viet Nam.

The outbreaks occurred in the following regions:

• Dong Vien, Cho Don, Bac Kan
• Yen Thuong, Cho Don, Bac Kan
• Bang Lung, Cho Don, Bac Kan

In total there were 366 cases, resulting in 1867 susceptible birds. All 1867 birds were destroyed as a result.

Antibiotics Could Increase Obesity, Say Researchers

 August 2012

US - Researchers at NYU School of Medicine have made a novel discovery that could have widespread clinical implications, potentially affecting everything from nutrient metabolism to obesity in children.

Since the 1950’s, low dose antibiotics have been widely used as growth promoters in the agricultural industry. For decades, livestock growers have employed subtherapeutic antibiotic therapy (STAT), not to fight infection or disease, but to increase weight gain in cattle, swine, sheep, chickens and turkey, among other farm animals.

First author Ilseung Cho, MD, MS, and colleagues set out to reveal how antibiotics were acting on the body to create this effect, hypothesizing that low doses of the drugs may alter the composition and function of the bacteria in the gut. The resulting study, appearing August 22 online ahead of print in Nature, confirmed their theory about the gut microbiome, the term used to refer to the community of bacteria that lives in the stomach, and raises new questions about how manipulating it can impact metabolism and disease in the body. 

The researchers administered STAT to normal mice and observed that the mice receiving antibiotics developed increased fat mass and percent body fat. After about six weeks, the mice that received antibiotics had gained about 10 to 15 per cent more fat mass than the mice that did not receive antibiotics. The researchers also noted that bone density was significantly increased in STAT mice early in development and that particular hormones related to metabolism were affected by antibiotic exposure, as well. 

Ventilation Reduces Environmental Impact

DENMARK - A new smart ventilation system helps Danish livestock producers to overcome some of the environmental challenges that the industry faces. Scientists from Aarhus University are involved in the development of the system devised by MT Højgaard Agri.

Unpleasant odours, ammonia emissions from livestock buildings and a high energy consumption pose significant environmental challenges for agriculture. In a new research project, scientists from Aarhus University are going to help develop a ventilation system which forms part of a new livestock housing concept designed by MT Højgaard Agri. The ventilation system reduces the environmental impact of livestock buildings by, among other things, reducing ammonia and odour emissions and lowering energy consumption.

"Emissions of CO2, ammonia, odour and dust are a permanent problem for the environment, for animal welfare and for the people working in the buildings. And this at the same time as agriculture is experiencing increasing demands for reductions in odour and ammonia emissions," says industrial post-doc Li Rong.

In addition to being a source of ammonia and odour, livestock buildings are also large consumers of energy, and 60 per cent of energy consumption in animal houses can be ascribed to ventilation and heating. The high energy consumption is detrimental both to the environment and to the farmer's economy.

Hong Kong Introduces New Bird Flu Vaccine

 August 2012

HONG KONG - Secretary for Food & Health, Dr Ko Wing-man, says a new poultry vaccine, Re-6, which is more effective in preventing avian flu H5N1 than the existing one, will be introduced to local chicken farms.

Dr Ko inspected a chicken farm in Yuen Long, the Cheung Sha Wan Temporary Wholesale Poultry Market, and the Hospital Authority Infectious Disease Centre last week.

Briefing the media, he said the vaccine has been introduced on the Mainland and successfully registered in Hong Kong. The Government will communicate with Mainland authorities to learn more about the use of the new vaccine, and discuss arrangements for supplying it to Hong Kong. 

He hopes to introduce the new vaccine for use in local chicken farms before the end of this year. 

Chair of Infectious Diseases, Department of Microbiology of the University of Hong Kong, Prof Yuen Kwok-yung said the control of avian H5N1 relies on infection control in poultry. 

“Because the transmission of H5N1 is largely poultry to human transmission, the efficiency of human to human transmission is very low.” 

Bakal Tauke Walet Junior III

Harap2 anak yang ketiga ini berminat dalam bidang usahawan/ perniagaan selari dengan rakan2 cina di SJKC

BAKAL tauke sarang burung walet junior I

control of Bird Flu Explored at World Congress 29 August 2012

ANALYSIS - Outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) have tended to be more severe and prolonged in less developed countries with a high poultry density, according to avian flu expert, Dr David Swayne. Stamping out is the best method for control but vaccination can be an effective tool, he said. Senior editor, Jackie Linden, reports on his presentation to the World Poultry Congress.

As predictors of the severity of outbreaks, he found that transmission occurred more easily and outbreaks were more prolonged in areas of high poultry population density in less developed countries.

 Looking at vaccine use over the period 2002 to 2010, more than 113 billion doses have been administered to poultry worldwide, with 25.7 million doses in 2010, according to Dr Swayne. Coverage averaged around 40 per cent, or 11 per cent of global production. The great majority of the vaccines were of the traditional inactivated whole virus type, with just 4.5 per cent of the recombinant type. Fourteen countries have now used vaccination, most notably China, Egypt, Indonesia and Viet Nam. 

燕窝小老板，还在求学中。

Ini bakal/ pelapis yang akan meneruskan legancy perniagaan wanzulswiftlet dalam industri perladangan burung walet. Selain daripada memiliki bahasa cina yang bagus tauke walet junior II juga diharap menyerap budaya bangsa cina yang memiliki survival yang tinggi untul terus survive dalam perniagaan kelak. 

                                               和我的二女儿在华校一起拍的甜蜜照。

Permintaan sarang jenis biskut semakin baik

Jualan untuk kali kedua sarang jenis biskut. walaupun masih lagi rendah kuantitinya ia cukup bermakna untuk wanzulswiftlet bagi meneroka  pasaran yang lebih besar.

A new smart ventilation system

DENMARK - A new smart ventilation system helps Danish livestock producers to overcome some of the environmental challenges that the industry faces. Scientists from Aarhus University are involved in the development of the system devised by MT Højgaard Agri.

Unpleasant odours, ammonia emissions from livestock buildings and a high energy consumption pose significant environmental challenges for agriculture. In a new research project, scientists from Aarhus University are going to help develop a ventilation system which forms part of a new livestock housing concept designed by MT Højgaard Agri. The ventilation system reduces the environmental impact of livestock buildings by, among other things, reducing ammonia and odour emissions and lowering energy consumption.

"Emissions of CO2, ammonia, odour and dust are a permanent problem for the environment, for animal welfare and for the people working in the buildings. And this at the same time as agriculture is experiencing increasing demands for reductions in odour and ammonia emissions," says industrial post-doc Li Rong.

In addition to being a source of ammonia and odour, livestock buildings are also large consumers of energy, and 60 per cent of energy consumption in animal houses can be ascribed to ventilation and heating. The high energy consumption is detrimental both to the environment and to the farmer's economy.

Avian Influenza H7N7 Found in Netherlands

 

NETHERLANDS - Low pathogenic avian influenza virus H7N7 has been discovered in the village of Hagestijn, the Netherlands.

The outbreak was reported to the OIE by Dr Christianne Bruschke, Chief Veterinary Officer, Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality.

The outbreak occured on a free-range farm and was discovered during a routine check.

In total 31,870 free range laying hens were destroyed. The cause of the outbreak is unknown.

New Study Maps Hotspots of Human-animal Infectious Diseases and Emerging Disease Outbreaks

A new global study mapping human-animal diseases like tuberculosis (TB) and Rift Valley fever finds that an "unlucky" 13 zoonoses are responsible for 2.4 billion cases of human illness and 2.2 million deaths per year. The vast majority occur in low- and middle-income countries.

The report, which was conducted by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), the Institute of Zoology (UK) and the Hanoi School of Public Health in Viet Nam, maps poverty, livestock-keeping and the diseases humans get from animals, and presents a ‘Top 20’ list of geographical hotspots.

"From cyst-causing tapeworms to avian flu, zoonoses present a major threat to human and animal health," said Delia Grace, a veterinary epidemiologist and food safety expert with ILRI in Kenya and lead author of the study. "Targeting the diseases in the hardest hit countries is crucial to protecting global health as well as to reducing severe levels of poverty and illness among the world's one billion poor livestock keepers."

"Exploding global demand for livestock products is likely to fuel the spread of a wide range of human-animal infectious diseases," Grace added.

According to the study, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Tanzania in Africa, as well as India in Asia, have the highest zoonotic disease burdens, with widespread illness and death. Meanwhile, the northeastern United States, Western Europe (especially the United Kingdom), Brazil and parts of Southeast Asia may be hotspots of "emerging zoonoses"—those that are newly infecting humans, are newly virulent, or have newly become drug resistant. The study examined the likely impacts of livestock intensification and climate change on the 13 zoonotic diseases currently causing the greatest harm to the world's poor.

The report, Mapping of Poverty and Likely Zoonoses Hotspots, was developed with support from the United Kingdom's Department for International Development (DFID). The goal of the research was to identify areas where better control of zoonotic diseases would most benefit poor people. It also updates a map of emerging disease events published in the science journal Nature in 2008 by Jones et al.

Remarkably, some 60 per cent of all human diseases and 75 per cent of all emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic. Among the high-priority zoonoses studied here are "endemic zoonoses," such as brucellosis, which cause the vast majority of illness and death in poor countries; "epidemic zoonoses," which typically occur as outbreaks, such as anthrax and Rift Valley fever; and the relatively rare "emerging zoonoses," such as bird flu, a few of which, like HIV/AIDS, spread to cause global cataclysms. While zoonoses can be transmitted to people by either wild or domesticated animals, most human infections are acquired from the world's 24 billion livestock, including pigs, poultry, cattle, goats, sheep and camels.

Intensification and Disease Spread through Zoonotic

The most rapid changes in pig and poultry farming are expected in Burkina Faso and Ghana in Africa and India, Myanmar and Pakistan in Asia. Pig and poultry farming is also intensifying more rapidly than other farm commodity sectors, with more animals being raised in more concentrated spaces, which raises the risk of disease spread. 

Assessing the likely impacts of livestock intensification on the high-priority zoonoses, the study found that livestock density is associated more with disease "event emergence" than with overall disease burdens. Both the northeastern United States and Western Europe have high densities of livestock and high levels of disease emergence (e.g., BSE, or "mad cow" disease, and Lyme disease), but low numbers of people falling sick and dying from zoonotic diseases. The latter is almost certainly due to the relatively good disease reporting and health care available in these rich countries. 

Bovine tuberculosis is a good example of a zoonotic disease that is now rare in both livestock and human populations in rich countries but continues to plague poor countries, where it infects about seven per cent of cattle, reducing their production by six per cent. Most infected cattle have the bovine form of TB, but both the human and bovine forms of TB can infect cows and people. Results of this study suggest that the burden of zoonotic forms of TB may be underestimated, with bovine TB causing up to 10 per cent of human TB cases. Human TB remains one of the most important and common human diseases in poor countries; in 2010, 12 million people suffered from active disease, with 80 per cent of all new cases occurring in 22 developing countries.

Zoonotic    =   disease can transfer from animal to human exp. TB,Birds flu, swine flu,mad cow ,Antrakh etc

Indonesia reports 9th birdflu death this year

A 37-year Indonesian man has died of avian influenza in Yogyakarta province of Indonesia, bringing the total fatality to 9 this year, health ministry said on its website on Sunday.

The man from Prambanan of Sleman district died on July 30 after being treated in hospitals, the ministry said.

Two laboratory tests confirmed that he was positive on having H5N1 virus, putting the the total death to 159 out of 191 cases since the viruses first attacked the country in 2005.

The self-employed man first felt the symtomps of the disease on July 24 with having high fever before he went to a hospital in the next day. Two days later, the man was treated in the hospital for his worsening condition and on July 29 he was shifted to another hospital.

An investigation showed that the man had possibly had contact with birds or poultry as it was found pet caged birds kept on his work place, and about 50 meters from his house there was a poulty slaugher house, as well as a cattle farm near it.

Concerns on the bird flu attacks appear in the region following the reports of the death on the H5N1 in Indonesia, Cambodia, China and Vietnam.

Indonesia is striving to produce bird flu vaccine to a sufficient level when the pandemic takes place, Health Minister Nafsiah Mboi has said.

She said that the country needed over 50,000 units vaccine to be used when pandemic occurred and to help other countries.
meaning of pandemic:
Pandemic =  spread to cause global cataclysms.

Jatropha as a New Livestock Feed Resource

FAO is encouraging the use of co-products of the energy crop, Jatropha, as new livestock feed resources to reduce food-feed competition.

At a conference organised by the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, EMBRAPA in Brasilia dedicated to ‘Advances in the detoxification of Jatropha and castor seed cake and their use as livestock feed’, FAO presented its animal feed and feeding programme including the opportunities and challenges in utilising Jatropha co-products as livestock feed and the possibilities of generating other value-added products using a biorefinery concept.

Denda lebih berat jika dera binatang

PUTRAJAYA 13 Ogos - Rang Undang-undang Kebajikan Haiwan dijangka dibentang di Dewan Rakyat pada awal tahun depan dengan mengenakan hukuman lebih berat ke atas pesalah yang mendera binatang.

Menteri Pertanian dan Industri Asas Tani, Datuk Seri Noh Omar berkata, sehubungan itu, Jabatan Perkhidmatan Veterinar (JPV) mengajak orang ramai memberi cadangan dan maklum balas mengenai draf rang undang-undang tersebut.

''Pada 19 Jun lalu, draf ini dipaparkan di Internet selama 14 hari untuk membolehkan orang ramai memberi cadangan.

''Bermula hari ini sehingga 31 Ogos pula, draf ini akan dipaparkan buat kali kedua di Internet supaya kita boleh mengumpulkan lebih banyak maklum balas daripada pelbagai pihak," katanya pada sidang akhbar di sini hari ini.

Turut hadir, Pengarah Bahagian Pembangunan Sumber Teknologi Ternakan Kementerian Pertanian dan Industri Asas Tani, Dr. Quaza Nizamuddin dan Timbalan Ketua Pengarah Perkhidmatan Veterinar, Dr. Mohd Azmie Zakaria.

Record Heat Wave Kills Over 830,000 Farm Animals

SOUTH KOREA - Hundreds of thousands of animals have died in South Korea, the government said Wednesday, due to a heat wave that is heading for a three-week streak.Over 830,000 farm animals, including 786,512 chickens, have been killed since 20 July, when midday temperatures began hovering above 33 C in most parts of the country, according to the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, reportsYonhapNewsAgency. 
The dead animals include 40,780 ducks and 336 pigs. 
Such damages are often caused by power outages that can halt the ventilation and cooling systems at farms. 
The country was forced to issue power shortage warnings for two consecutive days this week as the sweltering weather pushed up its energy consumption to new highs, driving down its electricity levels to what officials called "dangerous levels" of less than three million kilowatts. 
"The number of animals killed may actually be greater, pending on a more thorough survey," a ministry official said, noting damages may also grow from the continuing heat wave. 
The country is also experiencing its longest streak of so-called tropical nights, where overnight temperatures stay above 25 C.

Suhu memberi kesan yang besar kepada fisiologi haiwan termasuk anak dan telur. Burung walet mempunyai had toleransi yang tertentu dengan suhu, sebab itulah ia berhati hati memilih suhu tempat pembiakan yang memberi kesan langsung kepada telur dan anak anaknya.

Vietnam H5N1 Outbreaks Reported

 

08 August 2012

VIETNAM - Six further cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 have been reported to the OIE.

The six outbreaks occured between the 16-27 of July.

In total 7004 birds were susceptible. The outbreak led to 5446 cases, resulting in 29753 birds being destroyed.

The outbreaks occured in the following regions:

• Thach Hoi, Thach Ha, HA TINH
• Cam Thach, Cam Xuyen, HA TINH
• Thach Tan, Thach Ha, HA TINH
• Thach Thang, Thach Ha, HA TINH
• An Thai, An Lao, Hai Phong
• Cam Quan, Cam Xuyen, HA TINH

The cause of the outbreak is still unknown.