WHO official calls for preparation for bird flu epidemic

[Sally Furniss]

WHO official calls for preparation for bird flu epidemic

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-03/20/content_5869099.htm

ANKARA, March 19 (Xinhua) -- World Health Organization (WHO) official Monday urged the governments at the opening meeting of Second WHO Consultation held in Turkey to prepare an action plan against a possible bird flu epidemic, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported.

Since half of the 260 people, who were infected with the bird flu, lost their lives, WHO coordinator for the Global Influenza Program Keiji Fukuda called for a well preparation for the possible epidemic at the meeting opened in Antalya province of southern Turkey on Monday.

Fukuda also disclosed some newly found facts about the bird flu epidemic that occurred in Turkey.

"Bird flu is frequently seen in rural areas and regions where the winter conditions are harsher. Also in places where people are living near to poultry houses constituted a risk factor in the cases in Turkey."

With the topic of "Clinical Aspects of Human Infection with Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Virus," the meeting will mainly discuss the reasons and treatment of the bird flu epidemic.

Approximately 100 experts from various countries and WHO participate the three-day meeting.

[hawkeye]

Re: WHO official calls for preparation for bird flu epidemic

Interesting tha tthe word "epidemic" is being used. Mistake?

[Niko]

Re: WHO official calls for preparation for bird flu epidemic

Bird Flu :: World Health Organization, experts meet to discuss avian flu treatments

As the number of human cases of avian influenza confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO) rises to 281, with new cases reported in Egypt and Laos, WHO and international experts are meeting in Turkey to discuss how best to treat people who become infected with the highly pathogenic H5N1 form of the bird flu virus.
<center> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-6184078081177784"; google_alternate_ad_url = "http://www.spiritindia.com/google_adsense_script.html"; google_ad_width = 468; google_ad_height = 60; google_ad_format = "468x60_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; //2007-03-05: Articles 468 middle google_ad_channel = "9751639334"; google_color_border = "FFFFFF"; google_color_bg = "FFFFFF"; google_color_link = "000000"; google_color_url = "000000"; google_color_text = "000000"; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><iframe name="google_ads_frame" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-6184078081177784&dt=1174482231746&lmt=1174482231&a lternate_ad_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spiritindia.com%2 Fgoogle_adsense_script.html&prev_fmts=200x90_0ads_ al&format=468x60_as&output=html&channel=9751639334 &url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spiritindia.com%2Fhealth-care-news-articles-7599.html&color_bg=FFFFFF&color_text=000000&color_ link=000000&color_url=000000&color_border=FFFFFF&a d_type=text_image&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com %2Fnews%3Fsourceid%3Dnavclient-ff%26ie%3DUTF-8%26rlz%3D1B2GGGL_enUS176%26oe%3DUTF-8%26um%3D1%26tab%3Dwn%26q%3DWorld%2Bhealth%2Borgan ization%2Bmeeting%26btnG%3DSearch%2BNews&cc=100&u_ h=1024&u_w=1280&u_ah=990&u_aw=1280&u_cd=32&u_tz=-240&u_his=6&u_java=true&u_nplug=28&u_nmime=102" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" vspace="0" hspace="0" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="60" scrolling="no" width="468"></iframe> </center>Since 2003, some 300 million birds have died directly from infection or have been destroyed to keep the virus from spreading, and 169 people have died, most from close contact with sick birds.

The March 19-21 meeting in Antalya, on the Mediterranean coast of southern Turkey, is the second meeting of 100 experts and experienced medical practitioners from hospitals that have treated H5N1 patients. The first meeting was in May 2005 in Hanoi, Vietnam.

?We know more now than we did two years ago,? a WHO spokesman told USINFO March 20. ?A lot of work has gone on between 2005 and now, and there have been twice as many cases. All that combined will mean we have a lot more data to draw from.?

The meeting?s objectives are to summarize H5N1 symptoms and laboratory and pathological findings, encapsulate current knowledge about managing H5N1 infections and identify gaps in H5N1 knowledge and treatment that need research.

During the meeting, participants will summarize the current understanding of features of H5N1 infection like its incubation period, clinical course and duration of viral shedding, and of the pathology and clinical manifestations of H5N1 virus infection in people. Participants also hope to improve understanding of responses to current treatments, including anti-viral drugs.

Following the meeting, a paper describing the results and updating the WHO recommendations for treating H5N1 patients will be published in a medical journal.
(Last updated on Tuesday, March 20, 2007, and first posted on Tuesday, March 20, 2007)

http://www.spiritindia.com/health-care-news-articles-7599.html

[Niko]

Re: WHO official calls for preparation for bird flu epidemic

The Second WHO Consultation on Clinical Aspects of Human Infection with Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Virus
Antalya, Turkey, 19-21 March 2007
Background and Objectives
In May 2005, WHO convened the 1st Meeting on Case Management and Research on Human Influenza A/H5 in Hanoi, Viet Nam in May 2005. Despite increased awareness at community level and efforts made by the agricultural and human health sectors to contain the disease, the number of cases of influenza A (H5N1) virus infection in humans, who die from this infection, is still high. The World Health Organization is now convening a second meeting of experienced clinical practitioners from hospitals that have treated H5N1 patients.

The objectives of the meeting:

• Summarize clinical manifestations, laboratory findings, and pathological findings associated with influenza A (H5N1) virus infections in humans,
• Summarize current knowledge about the management of H5N1 infections,
• Identify important gaps for additional research in the knowledge about, and treatment of, H5N1 infections.

The meeting is expected to

• Summarize the current understanding about important features of H5N1 infection, including incubation period, clinical course, and duration of viral shedding.
• Summarize current understanding about the pathology and clinical manifestations of influenza A (H5N1) virus infection in humans.
• Improve understanding of responses to currently used treatments, including antivirals.

A paper summarizing the meeting's findings will be published as soon as possible in a peer-reviewed medical journal.
Participants
Approximately 100 participants, including: experts from each of the affected countries, observers from Member States at risk of seeing human cases of avian influenza (based on nomination by WHO Regional Offices), international subject experts.

http://www.who.int/csr/disease/influenza/meeting2007_03_19/en/index.html

[gsgs]

Re: WHO official calls for preparation for bird flu epidemic

I also noticed the switch in terminology from pandemic to epidemic.

Maybe they just concentrate on the local problem in Turkey, ignoring the
possibility of efficient h2h.

But then they have 100 experts from different coutries...

Well, in the later 2 messages the word epidemic wasn't used and
they concentrate on global H5N1 problems, not Turkey-specific.
They don't use the word "pandemic" either.

Looks like a political WHO decision to avoid speaking
about the pandemic threat in public.
What's the motivation for this change ?
Apparantly they don't like the discussion about going to
phase 4 ..., but is that the only reason ?

[DRJJ]

Re: WHO official calls for preparation for bird flu epidemic

gsgs:

Lets focus on what they intend to achieve.....

The objectives of the meeting:
Summarize clinical manifestations, laboratory findings, and pathological findings associated with influenza A (H5N1) virus infections in humans,
Summarize current knowledge about the management of H5N1 infections,
Identify important gaps for additional research in the knowledge about, and treatment of, H5N1 infections.
The meeting is expected to
Summarize the current understanding about important features of H5N1 infection, including incubation period, clinical course, and duration of viral shedding.
Summarize current understanding about the pathology and clinical manifestations of influenza A (H5N1) virus infection in humans.
Improve understanding of responses to currently used treatments, including antivirals.
A paper summarizing the meeting's findings will be published as soon as possible in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

I didn't realize that this information wasn't available. I have posted requests for this information several times which went unanswered. If we get this information published in a medical journal, WHO can call the pandemic "cockadoodle do" for all I care. This is the real stuff, the beating heart of the clinical treatment and pandemic management.

[gsgs]

Re: WHO official calls for preparation for bird flu epidemic

OK, but the secrecy in the (non-)statements encourages
us to speculate and to try to read between the lines...

[scottmcpherson]

Re: WHO official calls for preparation for bird flu epidemic

I wouldn't worry too much about the semantics of "epidemic" vs. "pandemic." The press is notorious foir copying itself, so if one Turkish reporter said "epidemic," then the rest of the news stories would repeat and more accurately, parrot the first. Sorry, no pun intended.

[Niko]

Re: WHO official calls for preparation for bird flu epidemic

Has anyone heard feedback or reports from this meeting in advance of a peer reviewed publication?

The Second WHO Consultation on Clinical Aspects of Human Infection with Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Virus
Antalya, Turkey, 19-21 March 2007

The objectives of the meeting:

• Summarize clinical manifestations, laboratory findings, and pathological findings associated with influenza A (H5N1) virus infections in humans,
• Summarize current knowledge about the management of H5N1 infections,
• Identify important gaps for additional research in the knowledge about, and treatment of, H5N1 infections.

The meeting is expected to

• Summarize the current understanding about important features of H5N1 infection, including incubation period, clinical course, and duration of viral shedding.
• Summarize current understanding about the pathology and clinical manifestations of influenza A (H5N1) virus infection in humans.
• Improve understanding of responses to currently used treatments, including antivirals.

A paper summarizing the meeting's findings will be published as soon as possible in a peer-reviewed medical journal.