Bird flu pandemic inevitable: WHO
(30-03-2007)
Viet Nam has both suffered and been hailed for its fight against avian influenza in poultry and humans. However, even now when the country is reported outbreak-free, the threat is far from over. While the virus is circulating in the environment, the risk to humans remains.
Nations currently share the concern that an influenza pandemic may be imminent. Nature has given us a strong and unprecedented warning and it would be foolish to ignore this, or let this concern fade over time.
Outbreaks can be stamped out but bird flu virus probably persists for many years in the countries that have been struck. Wild birds, migratory birds are considered as natural hosts of the bird flu virus and it is therefore likely impossible to eliminate the disease. Additionally, many of the strains that spread to domestic poultry change to become highly pathogenic ? some of these may infect other species, including man.
Margaret Chan, WHO Director General, in her speech at a Summit on Business Preparedness for Pandemic Influenza, stressed that global spread would be inevitable, given the contagious nature of influenza. Countries might, through measures such as border closures and travel restrictions, delay arrival of the virus by some days or weeks, but cannot stop it.
International spread will also be rapid. Most experts predict that global spread of the next pandemic will take place within a few months. Conservative estimates predict that around 20 per cent of the total world population will fall ill.
Excess mortality will occur and medical supplies will be inadequate. Supplies of vaccines and anti viral drugs ? the two most important medical interventions for reducing illness and deaths during a pandemic ? will be inadequate in all countries at the start of a pandemic and for many months thereafter.
This leads to inadequate hospital capacity. Current worldwide projections for the next pandemic estimate that some 6.4 million to 28 million people will require hospital care over a relatively short period of time. An estimated 1 billion people will fall ill.
Working together
WHO has issued a series of recommended strategic actions for responding to the pandemic threat. The actions are designed to provide different layers of defense that reflect the complexity of the evolving situation. Recommended actions are different for the present phase of pandemic alert, the emergence of a pandemic virus, and the declaration of a pandemic and its subsequent international spread.
These actions mainly focus on specific control measures designed by FAO/OIE, close collaboration between animal and public health sectors, strengthening of risk communication to rural residents and improvement of approaches to environmental detection of the virus. ? VNS
What is an influenza pandemic?
A pandemic is a global outbreak. An influenza pandemic occurs when there is an outbreak of a new strain of influenza that affects large parts of the world.
Can a pandemic be avoided?
WHO is optimistic that if the right actions are taken in both the animal and human health sectors to contain the spread of the disease and to detect and respond rapidly to outbreaks, the risk of an influenza pandemic can be reduced. ? VNS
http://www.birdflubreakingnews.com/...agency.com.vn/showarticle.php?num=01HEA300307
(30-03-2007)
Viet Nam has both suffered and been hailed for its fight against avian influenza in poultry and humans. However, even now when the country is reported outbreak-free, the threat is far from over. While the virus is circulating in the environment, the risk to humans remains.
Nations currently share the concern that an influenza pandemic may be imminent. Nature has given us a strong and unprecedented warning and it would be foolish to ignore this, or let this concern fade over time.
Outbreaks can be stamped out but bird flu virus probably persists for many years in the countries that have been struck. Wild birds, migratory birds are considered as natural hosts of the bird flu virus and it is therefore likely impossible to eliminate the disease. Additionally, many of the strains that spread to domestic poultry change to become highly pathogenic ? some of these may infect other species, including man.
Margaret Chan, WHO Director General, in her speech at a Summit on Business Preparedness for Pandemic Influenza, stressed that global spread would be inevitable, given the contagious nature of influenza. Countries might, through measures such as border closures and travel restrictions, delay arrival of the virus by some days or weeks, but cannot stop it.
International spread will also be rapid. Most experts predict that global spread of the next pandemic will take place within a few months. Conservative estimates predict that around 20 per cent of the total world population will fall ill.
Excess mortality will occur and medical supplies will be inadequate. Supplies of vaccines and anti viral drugs ? the two most important medical interventions for reducing illness and deaths during a pandemic ? will be inadequate in all countries at the start of a pandemic and for many months thereafter.
This leads to inadequate hospital capacity. Current worldwide projections for the next pandemic estimate that some 6.4 million to 28 million people will require hospital care over a relatively short period of time. An estimated 1 billion people will fall ill.
Working together
WHO has issued a series of recommended strategic actions for responding to the pandemic threat. The actions are designed to provide different layers of defense that reflect the complexity of the evolving situation. Recommended actions are different for the present phase of pandemic alert, the emergence of a pandemic virus, and the declaration of a pandemic and its subsequent international spread.
These actions mainly focus on specific control measures designed by FAO/OIE, close collaboration between animal and public health sectors, strengthening of risk communication to rural residents and improvement of approaches to environmental detection of the virus. ? VNS
What is an influenza pandemic?
A pandemic is a global outbreak. An influenza pandemic occurs when there is an outbreak of a new strain of influenza that affects large parts of the world.
Can a pandemic be avoided?
WHO is optimistic that if the right actions are taken in both the animal and human health sectors to contain the spread of the disease and to detect and respond rapidly to outbreaks, the risk of an influenza pandemic can be reduced. ? VNS
http://www.birdflubreakingnews.com/...agency.com.vn/showarticle.php?num=01HEA300307