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Friday, April 28, 2006
Health office gets gear for bird flu detection
STILL preparing for the possible avian flu pandemic, the health department on Thursday accepted test kits and other equipment that would easily detect bird flu both in human and poultry.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), thermal cycle machine, freezers, and test kits given by Zuellig Pharma will be vital in preventing the entry and spread of the deadly avian flu.
"Early detection, isolation and quarantine are important factors in managing the potential threat of bird flu," he said during the turnover of the equipment with Zuellig Phama chief executive Michael Becker, Zuellig Pharma chairman Reiner Gloor and Jose Miguel Curameng of the Zuellig Foundation.
Aside from donating the equipment, the medical firm also vowed to train laboratory personnel on how to use the kits and machines.
Duque said the equipment has already been tested by the World Health Organization (WHO) for an uncovering of influenza both in poultry and human. He said the equipment will "strengthen ongoing government efforts to prevent the spread of the disease."
As of the moment, the Philippines is still free from bird flu.
Also present during the turnover ceremony were Philippine representative to WHO Jean Marc Olive and WHO regional adviser on communicable disease surveillance and response Takeshi Kasai. (MSN/Sunnex)
(April 28, 2006 issue)
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