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Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Health, other agencies alerted on bird flu
THE Philippines' classification as a bird flu-free country should not be taken lightly, as health authorities in the country are on alert to avert the possible spread of the disease.
Dr. Antonio Bautista, head of the Infectious Disease Cluster of the Department of Health (DOH), said in Cordillera, as well as in other regions, task forces have been created and massive information and education campaigns have been launched to acquaint the public on bird flu.
Although the provinces of Ifugao, Benguet and Mountain Province are considered as "minor" sites for migratory birds, Bautista said all regional health units were alerted by the World Health Organization (WHO) to take precautionary measures following the series of deaths recorded in other countries, brought about by the H5N1 virus, a subtype of avian influenza, believed to infect only fowls but now reportedly able to infect humans because of mutation.
He said compared to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) and meningococcemia, fatality rate for bird flu is higher.
Sars has an 11 percent fatality rate, meningococcemia has 20 percent and bird flu has 54 percent.
Health records show that as of this month, 169 bird flue cases that involved humans were noted with Vietnam topping the most number of cases at 93 with 42 deaths or a 45 percent fatality rate.
Cambodia and Iraq registered the lowest number of cases with five and one, respectively. The two countries however noted a 100 percent fatality rate.
Other countries with confirmed human infection include Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Turkey and China.
"Avian influenza is a cause of concern," said Bautista, who stressed that the disease affects the economy of affected areas and the health of a certain population.
He warned that infection could give rise to influenza pandemic.
While no one can predict when a pandemic would take place, Bautista said based on accounts of the cases that occurred in the past, a 30-year cycle of occurrence was noted.
The last flu pandemic, which killed 1.4 million people, was recorded in 1968 in Hong Kong.
The DOH official said if the 30-year cycle would be followed, a pandemic is expected to happen this millennium. "A (possible) pandemic can be averted and the best solution is to keep the Philippines bird flu-free by having a reliable information system," he said.
He said the government is taking some measures to prevent the entry of birds suspected to be carriers of avian influenza. He said there are no available vaccines yet to protect an individual from acquiring the virus.
The cost of treatment for those diagnosed to be affected by the disease ranges from P29,000 to P65,000, depending on the severity of the affliction.
Symptoms of the disease include fever of 38.5 degrees Celsius or higher, cough, body malaise, joint and muscle pains, cough and dysnea.
Bautista said respiratory distress or the failure of the lungs to function is the most common cause of death.
Meantime, among other approaches suggested to deter entry of bird flu is the ban on the importation of birds, border control or strict inspection by the Bureau of Customs (BOC), early recognition of symptoms, mass culling and quarantine of affected areas.
For individuals who are highly susceptible of acquiring the disease such as poultry raisers, zoo keepers and even children, Bautista said proper hygiene should always be maintained.
He also advised the public to be cautious when buying pet birds. He said children should be advised not to touch birds and raisers should wear protective clothing.
Line agencies tapped to conduct monitoring and information campaign on bird flu are the DOH, the Department of Agriculture (DA), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC). (RO)
(February 21, 2006 issue)
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