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Date: Wed 23 Nov 2005
From: Christian Griot <christian.griot@ivi.admin.ch>
Source: Frankfurter Allgemeine, Tue 22 Nov 2005 [edited]
<http://www.faz.net/s/RubFC06D389EE76479E9E76425072B196C3/Doc%
7EE59730997A1B043CF80447F73E70BB84F%7EATpl%7EEcommon%7EScontent.html>


WHO Avian Influenza Expert Says 300 Dead In China
-------------------------------------------------
Dr. Masato Tashiro, a Japanese WHO consultant, believes that China
has had 300 human deaths from avian influenza and is hiding the true
extent of the disease from the rest of the world. Dr. Masato Tashiro,
Director of the WHO Collaborating Center on Influenza at the National
Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, and head of the Department
of Virology of the National Institute of Infectious Disease (Japan),
astonished colleagues with this information during a speech at a
recent retirement dinner for a fellow virologist, Hans-Dieter Klenk.

Having just returned from the Hunan province of China on behalf of the World
Health Organization (WHO), [Dr. Masato Tashiro] claimed that a reliable source
had provided him with details of the true nature of the H5N1 virus in
China. "We are systematically deceived," he is reported to have said.

Tashiro visited China on behalf of the World Health Organization (WHO) in
Hunan province. His laboratory, at the National Institute for Infection
Research in Tokyo, as one of the Asian points of contact for the United
Nations, had been particularly entrusted with investigations into avian
influenza in Asia and China. Dr. Masato gave his lecture in the University of
Marburg Clinic before some the most outstanding virologists in the world and
shocked the meeting with his unauthorized data [report] from inside China.

The Japanese virologist [said he] firmly believes in the reliability of the
source and its data. The secrecy of the Peking government is still causing
concern as it was at the beginning of the SARS epidemic disease, complained
Tashiro. At least 5 medical co-workers who should be reporting on the
situation in the provinces were arrested, and [other] publication-willing
researchers were threatened with punishments [he said].

--
Christian Griot
<christian.griot@ivi.admin.ch>

[There have been recurrent reports of human cases of avian influenza
in China. So far, none have been independently substantiated. This
report has more significance than most, coming from a WHO-supported
virologist. However, Dr. Tashiro's report is based on 2nd-hand
information and requires independent authentication. Further
information is requested. - Mod.CP]

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I can not fathom national ego when it means you cover up disasters of this nature. It's one thing to pretend your dam didn't fail, but quite another to pretend an epidemic isn't occurring.

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Date: Thu 24 Nov 2005
From: "Masato Tashiro, NIID JPN" <mtashiro@nih.go.jp>


Statement from Dr. Masato Tashiro
---------------------------------
I am surprised to read the report in ProMED-mail, Avian influenza,human - East
Asia (180): China, RFI [part 1] {archive number 20051123.3399).

First of all, it is not correct. Therefore, I would ask you to correct it.

In my presentation at the meeting in Marburg, I stated that WHO's
official numbers of H5N1 human cases are only based on laboratory
confirmed cases. It should be therefore an iceberg phenomenon. Due
to poorly organized surveillance and information sharing systems in
many affected countries including China, it is reasonable to consider
that more cases have occurred actually. We have heard many 'rumors'
or unauthorized information which we cannot confirm. In this context,
I talked about a few examples of non-authorized information and rumors
about Asian countries which I received through private channels. I
clarified that I do not know the original sources and I cannot confirm
whether they are true, how these numbers were derived and what
laboratory tests and epidemiological investigation were done.

Therefore, the article cited in ProMed-mail is incorrect and
misleading. I did not receive any interview during my stay in Germany.
I did not say anything that I believe the figures of the unauthorized
information.

My message at the meeting was that international societies should help
China to establish and perform nationwide surveillance and information
sharing systems. I do not think that the Chinese Authority will
conceal the facts from the world. Since the SARS event, they are
collaborative to WHO. But they may have still limited capacity to
monitor all human cases particularly in rural areas.

--
Masato Tashiro, NIID JPN
WHO Collaborating Center for Reference and Surveillance on Influenza,
National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo
<mtashiro@nih.go.jp>

[The article published in the Tue 22 Nov 2005 edition of the Frankfurter
Allgemeine, a reputable German newspaper, was referred to ProMED-mail
independently by two reliable correspondents. ProMED-mail was not able to
verify the accuracy of the newspaper report prior to posting and we
regret propagating inaccurate information [but see [2] below]. The hysteria
surrounding the outbreaks of HPAI H5N1 avian influenza in East Asia, and the
associated threat of an imminent pandemic of human influenza, has generated a
great deal of misinformation fueled by journalists competing to establish a
presence in the field, particularly with regard to events in the People's
Republic of China. We are grateful to Dr. Tashiro for clarifying his
position. - Mod.CP]

[2]
Date: 24 Nov 2005
From: Arnon Shimshony <arnon@promedmail.org>


The Israeli daily "Haaretz" included the following information in a front-page
article earlier today [24 Nov 2005] (translation from Hebrew):

"One of the participants in the meeting, Prof Hans-Dieter Klenk from Marburg
University in Germany, confirmed -- in an interview with "Haaretz"
yesterday [23 Nov 2005] -- the quote from Dr Masato Tashiro of the Japanese
Ministry of Health. "Dr Masato presented a well-detailed table, in Chinese,
which included more than 300 human fatalities, resulting from avian influenza,
recorded in China during recent years", said Prof Klenk yesterday. "He
[namely Tashiro - A.S.] said that he had received the unofficial report during
his visit to China in recent weeks", said Klenk". End translated passage.

According to the Frankfurter Allgemeine, Dr Masato sharply criticised the
Chinese authorities, saying they are "deliberately misleading the West"; this
was denied by Prof Klenk. [As I understand it, the denial means that the said
criticism was not said by Masato - A.S.].

Assaf Uni, the "Haaretz" reporter who interviewed Klenk, is a reputable one.

--
Arnon Shimshony
ProMED-mail Animal Disease and Zoonoses Moderator
Associate-Professor, Koret School of Veterinary Medicine
Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
<arnon@promedmail.org>

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[In view of conflicting reports in the media about what Dr Masato Tashiro
actually said in Germany, ProMED sent him some questions, to which he has
kindly replied -- see below. - Mod.JW]

Date: Sat, 26 Nov 2005 08:36:53 +0900
From: "Masato Tashiro, NIID JPN" <mtashiro@nih.go.jp>


Thank you for your mail. My answers are:

1) you were indeed in Hunan Province

No, I was not there this time.

2) the dates you were there

I have visited there before.

3) you were part of a WHO mission

I was not a member of the WHO mission this time.

4) you showed a slide in Germany showing more than 300 deaths from avian flu

As an example of unauthorized information, I showed a slide which I received
from a private source. This indicates more than 200 deaths distributed in
several provinces.

5) you were told that 7 of the cases resulted from human-to-human transmission.

The information I received indicated some human-to-human transmission cases,
although details were not clear.

Regards,

Masato Tashiro
NIID, Tokyo

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China is not covering up any human cases of bird flu, and the Japanese expert
has never visited China on a WHO mission, the WHO spokesman confirmed,
according to Mao. The Japanese expert, Masato Tashiro, said last week in
Germany that avian influenza has killed 300 people in China, including 7 cases
caused by human-to-human transmission, according to reports on the Internet
portals including "New Scientist" and "WorldNet daily".

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