INILAH.COM, Pariaman - General Hospital (Dr) M Djamil Padang, the patient received an unexpected return (avian influenza) Bird flu. Patient initials BR (73) is a resident of Padang Pariaman district. Patients undergoing intensive treatment in the isolation room bird flu Dr M Djamil Padang.
Information compiled, BR was hospitalized on Friday (8/2) at 12.00 pm. Patients are referred from hospitals Pariaman, because infected have symptoms of H5N1 or bird flu virus. A few days before patient contact with his neighbor's birds-poultry that died suddenly.
Meanwhile Giving Information Officer Dr M Djamil Padang, said Gustafianof BR, newly suspected teridap H5NI virus, because the family name but a few ducks and BR neighbor died suddenly at that direct contact with the birds.
"A few days ago a dead duck and the corresponding direct high fever accompanied by cough and shortness of breath. Seeing this, the family was immediately rushed to a hospital in Padang Padang Pariaman. Next is the general hospital, referring to Dr BR M Djamil Padang because of suspected H5NI virus infected patients, "said Gustavianof explained.
The doctor who saw the symptoms of the disease in question BR agreed saying suspect bird flu. Gustavianof said, BR is not positive, but traits that led to it is quite clear and the hospital will do blood sampling, to ensure the 73-year-old man infected with the virus or not.
"For that, until now its status is still suspected bird flu. BR has been getting intensive treatment in the isolation room bird flu. Later if the blood sample is positive, the doctor Dr M Djamil will take further action, "said Gustavianof.
The care given to BR, the standards set are appropriate for the patient supeck bird flu. "We are still isolated, pending and see the condition of the patient and the doctor will soon take a blood sample," said Gustafianof stressed.
A few days ago in Sanur District Nan Sabaris Nagari, Padang Pariaman District, a total of 1207 ducks belonging to four families (KK) died suddenly. Duck population in the area is 3590 tails and owners there are six families. Extermination perpetrated against the surviving ducks newly done to the families that Doni, a total of 299 birds. Meanwhile, three more are underway socialization KK to be the destruction of the ducks are still alive. It also carried out spraying.
In Sumatra, there are two locations of ducks were found dead suddenly, ie Korong Payakumbuh and Kampung Lintang, Sanur Nagari, District Nan Sabaris, Padang Pariaman. Head of Animal Health Animal Husbandry Department Sumatra M Kamil said, from observation teams on the ground, the death of thousands of ducks will lead to a new type of bird flu virus that is coded H5NI 2.3.2.
Pascamatinya thousands of ducks in Pariaman due to the H5N1 virus, West Sumatra Husbandry Department to block the passage of ducks from the scene. The anticipation is done, in order to prevent and inhibit the spread of the disease similar to other areas in West Sumatra.
http://m.inilah.com/read/detail/1956199/warga-pariaman-supect-flu-burung
Friday, February 8, 2013
Indonesia: Padang Human Case H5N1 Avian Influenza
Friday, February 8, 2013 - 21:28
Wartawan:
Adrian
Foto: Istimewa
Indonesia: Suspected Human Case #H5N1 Bird Flu
Saturday, February 9, 2013
General Hospital (Dr) M Djamil Padang, the patient received an unexpected return ( avian influenza) Bird flu. Patient initials BR (73) is a resident of Padang Pariaman district. Patients undergoing intensive treatment in the isolation room bird flu Dr M Djamil Padang.
Information compiled bow , BR was hospitalized on Friday (8/2) at 12.00 pm. Patients are referred from hospitals Pariaman, because infected have symptoms of H5N1 or bird flu virus. A few days before patient contact with his neighbor's birds-poultry that died suddenly.
Meanwhile Giving Information Officer Dr M Djamil Padang, said Gustafianof BR, newly suspected teridap H5NI virus, because the family name but a few ducks and BR neighbor died suddenly at that direct contact with the birds.
"A few days ago a dead duck and the corresponding direct high fever accompanied by cough and shortness of breath. Seeing this, the family was immediately rushed to a hospital in Padang Padang Pariaman. Next is the general hospital, referring to Dr BR M Djamil Padang because of suspected H5NI virus infected patients, "said Gustavianof explained.
The doctor who saw the symptoms of the disease in question BR agreed saying suspect bird flu. Gustavianof said, BR is not positive, but traits that led to it is quite clear and the hospital will do blood sampling, to ensure the 73-year-old man infected with the virus or not.
"For that, until now its status is still suspected bird flu. BR has been getting intensive treatment in the isolation room bird flu. Later if the blood sample is positive, the doctor Dr M Djamil will take further action, "said Gustavianof.
The care given to BR, the standards set are appropriate for the patient supeck bird flu. "We are still isolated, pending and see the condition of the patient and the doctor will soon take a blood sample," said Gustafianof stressed.
A few days ago in Sanur District Nan Sabaris Nagari, Padang Pariaman District, a total of 1207 ducks belonging to four families (KK) died suddenly. Duck population in the area is 3590 tails and owners there are six families. Extermination perpetrated against the surviving ducks newly done to the families that Doni, a total of 299 birds.Meanwhile, three more are underway socialization KK to be the destruction of the ducks are still alive. It also carried out spraying.
In Sumatra, there are two locations of ducks were found dead suddenly, ie Korong Payakumbuh and Kampung Lintang, Sanur Nagari, District Nan Sabaris, Padang Pariaman. Head of Animal Health Animal Husbandry Department Sumatra M Kamil said, from observation teams on the ground, the death of thousands of ducks will lead to a new type of bird flu virus that is coded H5NI 2.3.2.
Pascamatinya thousands of ducks in Pariaman due to the H5N1 virus, West Sumatra Husbandry Department to block the passage of ducks from the scene. The anticipation is done, in order to prevent and inhibit the spread of the disease similar to other areas in West Sumatra.
http://www.harianhaluan.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=21089:warga-pariaman-supect-flu-burung-&catid=2:sumatera-barat&Itemid=71
Girl becomes Cambodia’s fifth avian flu victim in 2013
Last Updated on 08 February 2013
By Paola Barisani
A 5-year-old girl from Angk Krasang village, in the Prey Kabass district of Takeo province has died this morning after being confirmed positive for the H5N1 virus, the World Health Organization (WHO) says.
The girl is the 5th avian flu victim in Cambodia since the beginning of the year.
According to the WHO, she developed symptoms on January 25, with fever, cough, and vomiting.
She was initially treated by local private practitioners, but her condition worsened and she was admitted to Kantha Bopha Hospital on January 31 where she died despite intense medical care.
There is evidence of recent deaths among poultry in the girl's village, and the girl had a history of coming into contact with poultry prior to becoming sick.
"This is the sixth case of H5N1 infection in human in early this year, and children still seem to be most vulnerable," Minister of Health Mam Bunheng said.
The Ministry of Health's Rapid Response Teams have gone to the hospital and the field to identify the girl’s close contacts, any epidemiological linkage among the six cases and initiate preventive treatment as required.
In addition, a public health education campaign is being conducted in the village to inform families on how to protect themselves from contracting avian flu.
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/2013020861239/National/girl-becomes-cambodia-s-fifth-avian-flu-victim-in-2013.html
Cambodia: #H5N1 Avian Influenza Human Cases List
I have updated the list, and posted it to the right side-bar.
Here is the link: http://pandemicinformationnews.blogspot.com/2013/01/cambodia-h5n1-avian-influenza-human.html#links
Here is the link: http://pandemicinformationnews.blogspot.com/2013/01/cambodia-h5n1-avian-influenza-human.html#links
Cambodia: 6th Confirmed #H5N1 Human Case
February 8, 2013
The Ministry of Health has posted an update on a new human case of avian influenza.
Name: 5 yo female
From: Angk Krasang Village, Prey Lvea commune, Prey Kabass district, Takeo Province.
Onset: 1/25
Adm: local private practitioner
Adm: 1/31 with fever, cough & dyspnoea
Hospital: Kantha Bopha Hospital
Confirmed: Positive, diagnosed on 2/7
DOD: 2/7
Notes: recent deaths of poultry in village.
Link to the Ministry of Health Statement: http://www.cdcmoh.gov.kh/PressRelease/27thpressreleaseAI_Engfinal.pdf
The Ministry of Health has posted an update on a new human case of avian influenza.
Name: 5 yo female
From: Angk Krasang Village, Prey Lvea commune, Prey Kabass district, Takeo Province.
Onset: 1/25
Adm: local private practitioner
Adm: 1/31 with fever, cough & dyspnoea
Hospital: Kantha Bopha Hospital
Confirmed: Positive, diagnosed on 2/7
DOD: 2/7
Notes: recent deaths of poultry in village.
Link to the Ministry of Health Statement: http://www.cdcmoh.gov.kh/PressRelease/27thpressreleaseAI_Engfinal.pdf
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Review finds little evidence of missed H5N1 infections
Robert Roos 
News Editor
News Editor
Feb 6, 2013 (CIDRAP News) – The authors of a new review say there
is little evidence of unrecognized human cases of H5N1 avian influenza,
but the studies done so far have too many limitations to settle the
controversial question.
Researchers from the Center for Biosecurity at the University of
Pittsburgh Medical Center reviewed 29 serologic studies and found only
four that identified anyone carrying antibodies to currently circulating
H5N1 strains. But many of the studies reviewed had methodologic
problems, such as lacking a comparison group with no exposure to the
virus.
The authors say their findings suggest that mild or asymptomatic
cases H5N1 cases are probably few, but the studies done so far are not
capable of determining "the true prevalence or severity of H5N1
infections." Their findings were published online yesterday in Clinical Infectious Diseases.
The debate over the existence of mild or asymptomatic H5N1 cases
has continued for years and was renewed last year amid the controversy
over experiments in which lab-modified H5N1 viruses were found to have
airborne transmissibility in ferrets.
The question centers on whether H5N1 is really as dangerous as it
appears from the 59% case-fatality rate (CFR) in confirmed human cases
recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Saudi Arabia: Health and agriculture are doing contingency plan to prevent the entry of bird flu virus
05-Feb-2013
Amman - Rai - Ahmed Eagles - decided by the ministries' health and agriculture activate emergency plan precautionary and preventive to prevent the entry of bird flu virus infection to the Kingdom and trapping the disease if moved us infection.
Amman - Rai - Ahmed Eagles - decided by the ministries' health and agriculture activate emergency plan precautionary and preventive to prevent the entry of bird flu virus infection to the Kingdom and trapping the disease if moved us infection.
The two ministries decided to declare a state of alert in the face of the virus in the event of discovery of any infection and treated early time (...) Makdtan that situation is worrying that the Ministry of Agriculture report confirming that status of the poultry farms in the Kingdom reassuring.
The head of the Primary Health Care in the Ministry of Health Bassem Hijjawi in a press statement after a meeting yesterday held at the Ministry of Agriculture to coordinate together to confront the danger of disease the kingdom of Anfloanz free bird or even suspected cases so far.
Said Hijjawi »Atfguenaaly form a joint committee between the two ministries to تبقيا in constant contact with each other and the author immediately any deaths for any kind of poultry in any place or farm in Saudi Arabia to take the next step which is declared Tfal plans confrontation of the disease before its spread and surround the place where it appears and eliminate ».
Dr Hijjawi revealed that the danger lies in this type of virus (H5N1) is moving from (human - human) was previously unknown transition from birds to humans, which is easy to encircle and destroy the virus.
Despite the announcement by the ministries (health, agriculture) yesterday devoid Jordan of bird flu so far, but he geographically located on the itinerary of millions of migratory birds that are concentrated period passes over territory of the Kingdom during the months February current September and April next, as well as that Jordan does not import large quantities of products poultry, but depends on local production significantly.
And circulated by the Ministry of Health according to Dr. Hijjawi intensify monitoring of diseases in hospitals, health centers and training for doctors and nurses to deal with situations that may be suspected to be infected with bird flu and declare readiness ministry laboratories to perform analyzes for the bird flu virus.
Hijjawi stressed that the Ministry of Health has sufficient stocks of the drug »Altmiflo» counter the disease, noting that the danger will persist as long as the kingdom live atmosphere of continuing winter.
Jordan was treated in 2006 with infected HP 5 to 1 bird flu in Ajloun were casualties among birds Habash reared homemade authorities have then executed birds region also dealt with human infection for migrant worker Egypt in Governor Karak came infected were isolated and treated for disease until full recovery.
And between Hijjawi that the Ministry of Health are looking forward very cautiously move the virus between countries, noting that the countries of the Middle East free of the virus so far confirmed that the virus re-emerged in Egypt.
The World Health Organization (WHO) launched a warning to all states after the discovery (5) cases of proven bird flu in Cambodia and moved them from injuries (person to person), which was considered a serious organization and warns of obtaining and B fast Antchar of the deadly disease.
Indicated that the avian influenza virus (H5N1) infects different species of birds and migratory birds and bird flu virus infects human symptoms include general decline body, headache, high body temperature for a period of more than a week and poor digestion and loss of appetite, runny nose, sore and reddened throat and pain severe muscle and joints and bones.
These symptoms may progress rapidly to respiratory infections and acute pulmonary end to acute respiratory insufficiency and then lead to death.
Opinion Why We Still Need to Think About Bird Flu
By Crawford Kilian, Today,
TheTyee.ca
"Bird flu" is a vague term: all influenzas come from birds, especially domestic poultry, though they sometimes reach us through pigs and other mammals. The Cambodians had H5N1 flu, which first got our attention when it broke out among chickens and humans in Hong Kong in 1997. That outbreak was stopped by killing every chicken and duck in the region, and banning further imports from the mainland.
Six years later human H5N1 returned, in Vietnam, and since then has sputtered away from Indonesia and South Korea to Egypt and Nigeria.
Between 2003 and the end of 2012, the WHO confirmed no more than 610 human H5N1 cases, most of them in Vietnam, Indonesia and Egypt. This, out of a population of over seven billion, makes it one of the world's rarest diseases.
Rare and dangerous
Its rarity is precisely what makes it so
dangerous. Because it evolved to infect birds, H5N1 isn't designed to
infect mammals. Humans, therefore, are a "naive" population with almost
no immunity to it. That was what scared the health authorities in Hong
Kong, and it's what scares the WHO today.
Out of those 610 cases, 360 people died. That means the "case fatality rate" (CFR) was 59 per cent. The CFR varies by country -- it's 35 per cent in Egypt, and 83 per cent in Indonesia. But globally, three out of five people who catch H5N1 will die of it within a very few days.
Cambodia has been reporting H5N1 since 2004. Out of 21 cumulative cases by the end of 2012, 19 died -- a 90 per cent CFR. Last year, though, the country had just two cases and one death.
The five new cases, then, are alarming because they've happened so suddenly and so close together. One was in Phnom Penh, Cambodia's capital. The others were in suburbs and nearby villages. And they continue to be fatal.
Continued: http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2013/02/06/Bird-Flu/
Between Jan. 9 and 15, five people in Cambodia
contracted bird flu, and four died of it within a few days -- four young
girls and a 35-year-old man. Only the first case, an eight-month-old
boy, survived.
This might seem like a minor event, but the World Health Organization
sent rapid response teams into the country to help the Cambodian
ministry of health. They've been looking for more cases and educating
local residents about how to avoid the disease -- even though it's one
of the hardest diseases to catch."Bird flu" is a vague term: all influenzas come from birds, especially domestic poultry, though they sometimes reach us through pigs and other mammals. The Cambodians had H5N1 flu, which first got our attention when it broke out among chickens and humans in Hong Kong in 1997. That outbreak was stopped by killing every chicken and duck in the region, and banning further imports from the mainland.
Six years later human H5N1 returned, in Vietnam, and since then has sputtered away from Indonesia and South Korea to Egypt and Nigeria.
Between 2003 and the end of 2012, the WHO confirmed no more than 610 human H5N1 cases, most of them in Vietnam, Indonesia and Egypt. This, out of a population of over seven billion, makes it one of the world's rarest diseases.
Rare and dangerous
Out of those 610 cases, 360 people died. That means the "case fatality rate" (CFR) was 59 per cent. The CFR varies by country -- it's 35 per cent in Egypt, and 83 per cent in Indonesia. But globally, three out of five people who catch H5N1 will die of it within a very few days.
Cambodia has been reporting H5N1 since 2004. Out of 21 cumulative cases by the end of 2012, 19 died -- a 90 per cent CFR. Last year, though, the country had just two cases and one death.
The five new cases, then, are alarming because they've happened so suddenly and so close together. One was in Phnom Penh, Cambodia's capital. The others were in suburbs and nearby villages. And they continue to be fatal.
Continued: http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2013/02/06/Bird-Flu/
Council on Foreign Relations Blog: Ten Years after SARS: Five Myths to Unravel
by
Yanzhong Huang
February 4, 2013
Last week, I was in Beijing for an international conference while the city experienced record levels of air pollution. I had a feeling of déjà vu as I saw people wearing face masks. Ten years ago, at the height of the SARS epidemic, a sea of people in white masks—most of them scared migrant workers and university students—flocked to train and bus stations and airports in the hope of fleeing the city. Then, face masks were a symbol of the fear of a deadly and seemingly omnipresent virus that was responsible for 349 deaths and over 5,300 infections in China alone. As the first severe infectious disease to emerge in the twenty-first century, SARS caused the most serious socio-political crisis for the Chinese leadership since the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown.
While SARS wreaked havoc for approximately nine months from November 2002 to August 2003, it is no match for the HIV/AIDS pandemic in terms of duration, which has lasted for more than 30 years. However, SARS has had a lasting impact on our collective psyche. In September 2012, a novel coronavirus was identified in two patients from the Middle East, raising the specter of a new SARS-like outbreak. To better prepare for the next disease outbreak, it might be necessary to unravel the following myths about SARS and other infections:
Myth #1: Strong political commitment and a centrally coordinated response was the most important factor in the control of SARS in China.
Not really. Once the initial dilly-dallying gave way to decisive and swift state action, resources were effectively mobilized against the epidemic and policy coordination was significantly improved. Yet many of the measures widely credited for stopping the spread of the virus, such as isolation and quarantine, were only implemented after the virus reproduction number or Rt—a critical value below which sustained transmission of the virus is impossible—dropped below one, or when the epidemic was already dying down. According to a study published in Tropical Medicine & International Health, those decisive government measures might have played a role in speeding up the disappearance of SARS or preventing the outbreak in yet unaffected regions, but they “contributed little to the factual containment of the SARS epidemic.”
Myth #2: Those patients who survived SARS lived happily ever after.
Not true. As a novel virus, SARS defied treatment and proved fatal in many cases. Zhong Nanshan, a Guangzhou-based doctor, initiated steroid therapy to treat SARS patients. This therapy, widely used during the SARS outbreak, was believed to have saved the lives of many SARS patients in China—indeed, during the 2009 H1N1 outbreak, steroid glucocorticoid was also used to treat critically-ill H1N1 patients. However, there have been adverse effects of this aggressive treatment. In late 2003, doctors began to suspect that the use of high doses of steroids for an extended duration was responsible for the crippling of hundreds of SARS patients. According to China Daily, roughly 30 percent of SARS survivors in China who received the therapy have developed severe bone degeneration. A study carried out in the Beijing municipality found that 88 percent of the SARS survivors had symptoms of osteonecrosis, 80 percent were forced to quit their jobs, 60 percent saw their families break up, and about 39 percent suffer from severe depression.
Myth #3: Government cover-up is no longer a major concern in the post-SARS era.
Not true. The SARS crisis has forced the Chinese leaders to take steps to be more open and transparent in disease reporting and information sharing. Yet as shown in the 2008 hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) outbreak, local government officials found it difficult to adjust their existing behavioral patterns for crisis management, which still value secrecy and inaction. Similar communication problems also bedeviled the government’s response to the 2009 H1N1 outbreak. China’s SARS crusader Zhong Nanshan publicly expressed his distrust in government data on H1N1 fatalities. Political expediency continues to be put before epidemiological reality in sharing disease-related information with the public. The health authorities stopped updating the spread of H1N1 cases between September 30 and October 9, apparently fearing that reporting H1N1 deaths would ruin the celebrations planned for October 1, the National Day that marked the 60th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China. That said, government cover-up and inaction are not unique to China; India’s response to the 2012 dengue fever epidemic was riddled with similar problems.
Myth #4: Poor or failed states pose a bigger infectious disease threat to the international community than stronger developing countries.
Not necessarily. In his thought-provoking book, Weak Links, my colleague and a leading global governance expert, Stewart Patrick, argues that stronger developing countries such as China and Indonesia “may actually pose a bigger infectious disease threat to the United States and the global community than weaker states.” In these countries, the rapid economic development and land use change has significantly increased the chances of human exposure to natural hosts who are carrying novel and lethal viruses of zoonotic origin. Coronaviruses that were implicated in the SARS outbreak, for example, have been detected in multiple species of bats. As described in the movie Contagion, the eating habits in some countries make it more likely for a virus to jump from one species to another. Indeed, In Guangzhou in southern China, 20,000 wild birds are estimated to end up in the human stomach every day. The integration of these countries into the global economy means that a lethal virus can travel at jet speed to other parts of the world. It is no coincidence that SARS was first discovered in Guangdong, a highly developed province with a robust export sector, and arrived in Toronto before it first appeared in Beijing. It also came as no surprise that Cambodia and Myanmar, two of the least developed countries in Asia, were spared by SARS in 2003.
Myth #5: Infectious disease outbreaks remain the primary public health concern in the Asia-Pacific region.
Wrong. According to the World Health Organization, non-communicable diseases or NCDs, which includes cancer, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes, are the most frequent causes of death in most countries in the region. Today, NCDs account for 85 percent of mortality in China and 70 percent of total disease burden. Indeed, even in sub-regions of Asia-Pacific that are still facing the double burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases, NCDs will soon be the predominant cause of mortality. According to the World Bank, the share of total deaths attributable to NCDs will increase to 72 percent in 2030 from 51 percent in South Asia in 2008.
Since 2003, tremendous progress has indeed been made in improving global health security, especially in areas of capacity building for disease surveillance and response. However, our ability to effectively address the next SARS-like disease outbreak is still constrained by our lack of understanding of the evolving biological and political worlds.
http://blogs.cfr.org/asia/2013/02/04/ten-years-after-sars-five-myths-to-unravel/
February 4, 2013
Last week, I was in Beijing for an international conference while the city experienced record levels of air pollution. I had a feeling of déjà vu as I saw people wearing face masks. Ten years ago, at the height of the SARS epidemic, a sea of people in white masks—most of them scared migrant workers and university students—flocked to train and bus stations and airports in the hope of fleeing the city. Then, face masks were a symbol of the fear of a deadly and seemingly omnipresent virus that was responsible for 349 deaths and over 5,300 infections in China alone. As the first severe infectious disease to emerge in the twenty-first century, SARS caused the most serious socio-political crisis for the Chinese leadership since the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown.
While SARS wreaked havoc for approximately nine months from November 2002 to August 2003, it is no match for the HIV/AIDS pandemic in terms of duration, which has lasted for more than 30 years. However, SARS has had a lasting impact on our collective psyche. In September 2012, a novel coronavirus was identified in two patients from the Middle East, raising the specter of a new SARS-like outbreak. To better prepare for the next disease outbreak, it might be necessary to unravel the following myths about SARS and other infections:
Myth #1: Strong political commitment and a centrally coordinated response was the most important factor in the control of SARS in China.
Not really. Once the initial dilly-dallying gave way to decisive and swift state action, resources were effectively mobilized against the epidemic and policy coordination was significantly improved. Yet many of the measures widely credited for stopping the spread of the virus, such as isolation and quarantine, were only implemented after the virus reproduction number or Rt—a critical value below which sustained transmission of the virus is impossible—dropped below one, or when the epidemic was already dying down. According to a study published in Tropical Medicine & International Health, those decisive government measures might have played a role in speeding up the disappearance of SARS or preventing the outbreak in yet unaffected regions, but they “contributed little to the factual containment of the SARS epidemic.”
Myth #2: Those patients who survived SARS lived happily ever after.
Not true. As a novel virus, SARS defied treatment and proved fatal in many cases. Zhong Nanshan, a Guangzhou-based doctor, initiated steroid therapy to treat SARS patients. This therapy, widely used during the SARS outbreak, was believed to have saved the lives of many SARS patients in China—indeed, during the 2009 H1N1 outbreak, steroid glucocorticoid was also used to treat critically-ill H1N1 patients. However, there have been adverse effects of this aggressive treatment. In late 2003, doctors began to suspect that the use of high doses of steroids for an extended duration was responsible for the crippling of hundreds of SARS patients. According to China Daily, roughly 30 percent of SARS survivors in China who received the therapy have developed severe bone degeneration. A study carried out in the Beijing municipality found that 88 percent of the SARS survivors had symptoms of osteonecrosis, 80 percent were forced to quit their jobs, 60 percent saw their families break up, and about 39 percent suffer from severe depression.
Myth #3: Government cover-up is no longer a major concern in the post-SARS era.
Not true. The SARS crisis has forced the Chinese leaders to take steps to be more open and transparent in disease reporting and information sharing. Yet as shown in the 2008 hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) outbreak, local government officials found it difficult to adjust their existing behavioral patterns for crisis management, which still value secrecy and inaction. Similar communication problems also bedeviled the government’s response to the 2009 H1N1 outbreak. China’s SARS crusader Zhong Nanshan publicly expressed his distrust in government data on H1N1 fatalities. Political expediency continues to be put before epidemiological reality in sharing disease-related information with the public. The health authorities stopped updating the spread of H1N1 cases between September 30 and October 9, apparently fearing that reporting H1N1 deaths would ruin the celebrations planned for October 1, the National Day that marked the 60th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China. That said, government cover-up and inaction are not unique to China; India’s response to the 2012 dengue fever epidemic was riddled with similar problems.
Myth #4: Poor or failed states pose a bigger infectious disease threat to the international community than stronger developing countries.
Not necessarily. In his thought-provoking book, Weak Links, my colleague and a leading global governance expert, Stewart Patrick, argues that stronger developing countries such as China and Indonesia “may actually pose a bigger infectious disease threat to the United States and the global community than weaker states.” In these countries, the rapid economic development and land use change has significantly increased the chances of human exposure to natural hosts who are carrying novel and lethal viruses of zoonotic origin. Coronaviruses that were implicated in the SARS outbreak, for example, have been detected in multiple species of bats. As described in the movie Contagion, the eating habits in some countries make it more likely for a virus to jump from one species to another. Indeed, In Guangzhou in southern China, 20,000 wild birds are estimated to end up in the human stomach every day. The integration of these countries into the global economy means that a lethal virus can travel at jet speed to other parts of the world. It is no coincidence that SARS was first discovered in Guangdong, a highly developed province with a robust export sector, and arrived in Toronto before it first appeared in Beijing. It also came as no surprise that Cambodia and Myanmar, two of the least developed countries in Asia, were spared by SARS in 2003.
Myth #5: Infectious disease outbreaks remain the primary public health concern in the Asia-Pacific region.
Wrong. According to the World Health Organization, non-communicable diseases or NCDs, which includes cancer, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes, are the most frequent causes of death in most countries in the region. Today, NCDs account for 85 percent of mortality in China and 70 percent of total disease burden. Indeed, even in sub-regions of Asia-Pacific that are still facing the double burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases, NCDs will soon be the predominant cause of mortality. According to the World Bank, the share of total deaths attributable to NCDs will increase to 72 percent in 2030 from 51 percent in South Asia in 2008.
Since 2003, tremendous progress has indeed been made in improving global health security, especially in areas of capacity building for disease surveillance and response. However, our ability to effectively address the next SARS-like disease outbreak is still constrained by our lack of understanding of the evolving biological and political worlds.
http://blogs.cfr.org/asia/2013/02/04/ten-years-after-sars-five-myths-to-unravel/
Vietnam: Border provinces watch for avian flu
2/6/13
The warning was released after the World Health Organisation in Cambodia confirmed that five Cambodian people had contracted the disease since the beginning of the year, of which four died. One of two areas hit by the disease was near the Viet Nam border.
The provinces were asked to tighten international medical quarantine procedures, detect cases with high or acute respiration inflammation and isolate suspected cases for timely treatment in an effort to keep the lethal H5N1 virus from spreading to Viet Nam.
Provinces were also requested to collaborate with agricultural sectors to strengthen the supervision of both domestic and imported poultry.
The health ministry also asked medical units to prepare medicines, chemicals and facilities to deal with outbreaks, if any, and to keep an eye on people coming from Cambodia to Viet Nam for signs of the flu.
The public should be warned of measures to stay safe from the virus, and veterinary units and local authorities should plan together the supervision of an avian influenza H5N1 outbreak in poultry, should it occur.
Department deputy director Tran Thanh Duong said the outbreak of avian influenza H5N1 in Cambodia was a significant threat to Viet Nam.
The disease could spread to Viet Nam through many channels, such as trade border exchange, poultry smuggling or wild birds moving between the two countries, Duong said.
The eight border provinces are Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong in the Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands) and Binh Phuoc, Tay Ninh, Long An, Dong Thap and An Giang in the south.
Last year, bird flu hit seven provinces of Viet Nam and claimed two deaths.
Ministry of Health statistics say that 121 H5N1 cases have been reported in Viet Nam since 2003. Of that number, 61 resulted in death.
The warning was released after the World Health Organisation in Cambodia confirmed that five Cambodian people had contracted the disease since the beginning of the year, of which four died. One of two areas hit by the disease was near the Viet Nam border.
The provinces were asked to tighten international medical quarantine procedures, detect cases with high or acute respiration inflammation and isolate suspected cases for timely treatment in an effort to keep the lethal H5N1 virus from spreading to Viet Nam.
Provinces were also requested to collaborate with agricultural sectors to strengthen the supervision of both domestic and imported poultry.
The health ministry also asked medical units to prepare medicines, chemicals and facilities to deal with outbreaks, if any, and to keep an eye on people coming from Cambodia to Viet Nam for signs of the flu.
The public should be warned of measures to stay safe from the virus, and veterinary units and local authorities should plan together the supervision of an avian influenza H5N1 outbreak in poultry, should it occur.
Department deputy director Tran Thanh Duong said the outbreak of avian influenza H5N1 in Cambodia was a significant threat to Viet Nam.
The disease could spread to Viet Nam through many channels, such as trade border exchange, poultry smuggling or wild birds moving between the two countries, Duong said.
The eight border provinces are Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong in the Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands) and Binh Phuoc, Tay Ninh, Long An, Dong Thap and An Giang in the south.
Last year, bird flu hit seven provinces of Viet Nam and claimed two deaths.
Ministry of Health statistics say that 121 H5N1 cases have been reported in Viet Nam since 2003. Of that number, 61 resulted in death.
Thailand: Teams of govt vets monitor for avian flu
2/5/13
In checking the birds' health to detect H5N1 virus, they also collected bird saliva and dropping samples, to be sent for lab tests at the National Institute of Animal Health and Kasetsart University.
The lab results should be known next week, deputy director of the department Teerapat Prayoonsit said, while leading the team of 100 veterinarians to catch birds in Silom.
Continued: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Teams-of-govt-vets-monitor-for-avian-flu-30199431.html
The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation has resumed its nationwide campaign to randomly test birds for the deadly avian influenza virus (H5N1), to ensure Thailand is free from further outbreaks.
Over 300 barn swallows were collected from Silom by a veterinarian team from the department.In checking the birds' health to detect H5N1 virus, they also collected bird saliva and dropping samples, to be sent for lab tests at the National Institute of Animal Health and Kasetsart University.
The lab results should be known next week, deputy director of the department Teerapat Prayoonsit said, while leading the team of 100 veterinarians to catch birds in Silom.
Continued: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Teams-of-govt-vets-monitor-for-avian-flu-30199431.html
Vietnam warns border areas with Cambodia of avian influenza threat
2/5/13
HANOI, Feb. 5 — The Vietnamese Ministry of Health has warned eight provinces near the border with Cambodia of a threat coming from the avian influenza H5N1 that has killed four Cambodians this year, reported by Vietnam’s state-run news agency on Tuesday.
The warning was released after those deaths were confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in Cambodia, saying four out of five Cambodian people contracted with bird flu had died since the beginning of this year, and that one of two areas hit by the disease is close to the Vietnam border.
The ministry instructed related provinces to strictly tighten international medical quarantine procedures so as to keep the lethal H5N1 virus from spreading to Vietnam.
Prevention and control measures must be implemented by the local authorities to strengthen supervision of both domestic and imported poultry.
Last year, bird flu hit seven Vietnamese provinces and killed two people.
Vietnam has reported 121 H5N1 cases since 2003, of which there were 61 deaths, said the report.
HANOI, Feb. 5 — The Vietnamese Ministry of Health has warned eight provinces near the border with Cambodia of a threat coming from the avian influenza H5N1 that has killed four Cambodians this year, reported by Vietnam’s state-run news agency on Tuesday.
The warning was released after those deaths were confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in Cambodia, saying four out of five Cambodian people contracted with bird flu had died since the beginning of this year, and that one of two areas hit by the disease is close to the Vietnam border.
The ministry instructed related provinces to strictly tighten international medical quarantine procedures so as to keep the lethal H5N1 virus from spreading to Vietnam.
Prevention and control measures must be implemented by the local authorities to strengthen supervision of both domestic and imported poultry.
Last year, bird flu hit seven Vietnamese provinces and killed two people.
Vietnam has reported 121 H5N1 cases since 2003, of which there were 61 deaths, said the report.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)