Influenza virus is not known to affect wild felids. We demonstrate that avian influenza A (H5N1) virus caused severe pneumonia in tigers and leopards that fed on infected poultry carcasses. This finding extends the host range of influenza virus and has implications for influenza virus epidemiology and wildlife conservation.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a relation does exist between clinicopathologic features and the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with respect to serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels at diagnosis. We reviewed the clinical data of 309 pathologically proven HCC cases divided into three groups: group 1 with normal AFP (<20 IU/mL), group 2 with moderately elevated AFP (20–399 IU/mL) and group 3 with markedly elevated AFP (≥400 IU/mL). Of these, there were 76 (24.6%), 78 (25.2%), and 155 patients (50.2%) in groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. We found that HCC patients with high AFP tended to have greater tumor size, bilobar involvement, massive or diffuse types, and portal vein thrombosis. Nonetheless, we could not establish a correlation between increased AFP and Okuda's stages, degree of tumor differentiation, or extrahepatic metastasis. The median survival rates in groups 1 (6 months) and 2 (7 months) were significantly longer than that of group 3 (3 months). On multivariate logistic regression analysis, positive hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) status and bilobar tumor involvement represented the independent factors for predicting high AFP values. We concluded that AFP is useful not only for diagnosis, but also as a prognostic indicator in patients with HCC . However, it cannot be considered a sensitive tumor marker, particularly during the early stages in HBsAg-negative patients.

Avian influenza H5N1 virus is known to cross the species barrier and infect humans and felines. We report a fatal H5N1 infection in a dog following ingestion of an H5N1-infected duck during an outbreak in Thailand in 2004. With new reports of H5N1 virus continuing across Asia, Europe, and Africa, this finding highlights the need for monitoring of domestic animals during outbreaks.

Enterovirus A71 (EV-A71) is one of the common causative pathogens for hand foot and mouth disease (HFMD) affecting young children. HFMD outbreak can result in a substantial pediatric hospitalization and burden the healthcare services, especially in less-developed countries. Since the initial epidemic of predominantly EV-A71 in California in 1969, the high prevalence of HFMD in the Asia-pacific region and elsewhere around the world represents a significant morbidity in this age group. With the advent of rapid and accurate diagnostic tools, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of laboratory-confirmed EV-A71 infection over the past two decades. The population, cultural, and socioeconomic diversity among countries in the Asia-Pacific region all influence the transmission and morbidity associated with HFMD. This review summarizes the current state of epidemiology of EV-A71 in Asia-Pacific countries based on the most recent epidemiological data and available information on the prevalence and disease burden. This knowledge is important in guiding the prevention, control and future research on vaccine development of this highly contagious disease of significant socioeconomic implications in public health.

We report H5N1 virus infection in a domestic cat infected by eating a pigeon carcass. The virus isolated from the pigeon and the cat showed the same cluster as the viruses obtained during the outbreak in Thailand. Since cats are common house pets, concern regarding disease transmission to humans exists.

During the second outbreak of avian influenza H5N1 in Thailand, probable horizontal transmission among tigers was demonstrated in the tiger zoo. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of those viruses showed no differences from the first isolate obtained in January 2004. This finding has implications for influenza virus epidemiology and pathogenicity in mammals.