More effective medication needed in fighting bird flu

[Snowy Owl]

More effective medication needed in fighting bird flu

Dicky Christanto , The Jakarta Post , Denpasar | Fri, 03/28/2008 1:28 PM | Bali

More effective medication is needed to fight the H5N1 virus that causes Avian Influenza, as symptoms of resistance toward Osetamivir, the current medicine, had appeared in bird flu patients in some regions, an official at an Avian Influenza Summit said.

"We have learnt some bird flu patients in Hong Kong and Vietnam have shown resistance to old medicines," head of the National Working Group on Avian Influenza Eradication Amin Subandrio told reporters at the summit held at Nusa Dua resort Thursday.

"That's why we gather here, to find out whether or not we are ready to tackle the possibility that people are becoming immune to bird flu medication," Amin said.

Representatives from 25 countries attended the two-day summit, including from the U.S., Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and Kenya, who discussed the need for new medication to fight the AI virus

An exhibition demonstrating medical breakthroughs in treating bird flu by pharmaceutical companies from participating countries was also held.

Many countries are currently using Osetamivir, locally known as Tamiflu, to treat patients diagnosed with bird flu.

Tamiflu must be given to bird flu patients early as it reacts with the virus while it is still in the patient's blood. Once the virus enters the patient's lungs, the tablet is not much use, Amin said.

"We must then mix it with other medication to avoid further damage," he said.

The disease has killed 105 of the 129 people who have contracted the disease in Indonesia.

Amin said Tamiflu was still needed to treat patients suffering from bird flu.

"But we must be very careful not to give this medication to people who haven't been officially diagnosed with bird flu. If we do, they could become resistant to the medication in future," he said.

With new bird flu medication expected to be available in five to ten years time, campaigns on the necessary precautions to take were essential to avoid the disease, Amin said.

Head of the Surveillance and Epidemiology division of the Agriculture Ministry, Muster Any Ragman Nor, said the campaign has generated promising results in some regions but had failed in some others.

"The campaign failed in slum areas where poultry breeders put their poultry cages near their houses. It is not that they are unaware of the new rule that prohibits this, but they lack the funds to build new cages outside the housing area," he said.

Separately, a group of activists from the Asia-Pacific's People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) held a rally in front of the summit venue. Two of them wore giant chicken costumes and held a banner calling for people to stop eating meat and become vegetarian.

Ashley Fruno of PETA said people should really stop eating meat as it had long been known to be a source of human illness.

"Besides killing an animal just to get its meat is just another way of justifying slaughter. We should be more caring towards other creatures," Fruno, who has been a vegetarian for 12 years, said Wednesday.

She said the vegetarian lifestyle had been proven to prevent degenerative diseases such as heart attacks and high blood pressure.

http://www.thejakartapost.com/node/164845

 

[Snowy Owl]

Re: More effective medication needed in fighting bird flu

Vigilance is still everything when it comes to bird flu

, The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Wed, 09/19/2007 2:54 PM | Opinion

Emmy Fitri, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

When it was announced the bird flu virus had claimed human lives on Bali, there was immediate questions about whether the island paradise remained a safe haven for holidaymakers.

There have been concerns the virus will deal a crippling blow to Bali's vital tourism sector, as terrorist bombings did in 2002 and 2005.

The good news is, however, Indonesia has resumed sending samples of the avian influenza virus to the World Health Organization, which will make sure the virus spreading in Bali is the same H5N1 that was first known to jump to humans in 2005, and not a mutated version that is easily spread from person to person.

Luckily, the epidemic has yet to affect tourism on the island, which has maintained its reputation as one of the most popular destinations in the world.

But what if Bali never experienced a bird flu case? Would it be business as usual?

Would the government be sending virus samples to the WHO laboratory? Would it honor new international health regulations issued by the WHO, which require member countries to send their samples to the body?

The government may have continued to hold back the samples and international researchers would have stopped their studies.

Indonesia has recorded limited human-to-human transmission of the bird flu virus (in which the virus affects members of the same family), and samples were taken from last year's cases in North Sumatra.

Who knows what else the health authorities here have done to comply with WHO and its regulations, as discussed in the organization's recent annual report.

Associated Press reported much of the WHO's annual report on the state of the world's health was designed to convince governments to adhere to new and tighter regulations that are meant to provide a basis for global cooperation in combating life-threatening diseases.

The revised health regulations came into effect in June. They recommend countries report potentially dangerous health emergencies to WHO.

The annual health report also urges countries to share viruses to help develop vaccines and to step up domestic efforts to combat disease outbreaks.

That the Indonesian government has resumed the sharing of live viruses with the WHO does not mean the country is already in compliance with the new health regulations.

The regulations demonstrate the need for countries to work together to overcome future health challenges.

It's deplorable if the only reason for stopping the sharing of virus samples was for assurances any pandemic vaccines developed from the samples would be affordable for developing countries, while Indonesia is in bed with a U.S. vaccine maker to produce a human vaccine.

Having a human vaccine ready in case of a pandemic, of course, requires a well thought out plan, but it's a pretty foreign concept for most people here as influenza is not seasonal like in sub-tropical countries. Flu is a year-round illness that can be triggered by various causes.

In a broader sense, however, the sharing of virus samples is meant to ensure that, for now, the virus has not mutated into a form that is easily transmittable from human to human, which could trigger a global influenza pandemic.

Nevertheless, details on whether the virus has mutated remain unclear.

Recent cases, especially those in Bali, show the mortality rate has reached 80 percent, which means the virus is even more lethal than before.

Or perhaps the high mortality rate can simply be blamed on late detection.

So much for the country's revenue from the tourism sector and our image in the eyes of the international community; we have failed to tend our own backyard.

Jakarta, where 22 of the 86 human bird flu deaths nationwide have occurred, has stepped up prevention efforts, including issuing an ordinance that restricts backyard poultry. Yet it is still struggling to enforce the bylaw.

Political will alone is not enough if there is no commitment to implement the regulation. Free-range chickens can still be found in housing complexes and roaming the streets of the capital.

Understandably, government officials always say it's not easy to rid the city of backyard poultry because low and middle-income families depend on the cheap supply of protein -- chicken and eggs -- from their own backyard.

During the fasting month and the upcoming Idul Fitri holiday there will be a surge in demand for chicken, which is cheaper than beef.

The distribution of poultry and how it is sold to the public have not yet been addressed by the government, with the country still relying on traditional distribution and sale methods.

With international aid flooding into the country to help us fight bird flu, the government must be more than ready to cover the tangible losses. It just requires serious measures to be taken against backyard poultry and a restructuring of the poultry industry.

We cannot wait for another outbreak or more human fatalities. Keep the virus in chicken cages as it was originally a poultry disease.

It matters how we deal with chickens, because the bad news is the threat of a pandemic is still lurking.

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/...till-everything-when-it-comes-bird-flu.html-0

 

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Re: More effective medication needed in fighting bird flu

Create expands bird flu project

Irawaty Wardany , The Jakarta Post , Denpasar | Mon, 03/03/2008 11:32 AM | Bali

The Center for Human Resource Development and Applied Technology (Create) is expanding its community-based project, taking its Avian Influenza (H5N1) Responsive Village project into several villages in regencies -- Jembrana, Tabanan and Klungkung.

"We started the community empowerment program in Sedang village, Badung regency in 2006, and this year we will replicate it in Jembrana, Tabanan and Klungkung," said head of Create's Bali chapter I.G.N Mahardhika told The Jakarta Post here on Saturday.

He said in Sedang Village, public campaigns including public gatherings and door-to-door visits had been the first step taken. The outreach work targeted village residents and schoolchildren in an effort to raise awareness on the virus.

After that the center introduced the use of special nets to contain the movement of chickens and ducks in backyard farms.

"We recommended they develop healthy backyard farming by installing the special net around the farm to minimize direct contact between human and fowls."

Besides that, the net would make it easier for the health authorities to vaccinate the poultry and to implement bio-security measures.

Mahardika added the net system was quite affordable for farmers and also easy to maintain.

"The installation of the net takes no more than Rp 200,000 (US$21.9) and it can handle 20 to 30 birds," Mahardika said.

He said that empowerment was the key in containing the spread of avian influenza.

The center conducted a seminar in Takmung Village of Klungkung on Friday to mark the commencement of the program.

"Takmung village was chosen (as a place to kick off the program) because it is one of the areas that has a high risk of Avian Influenza outbreak since a lot of people in Takmung village are poultry farmers," he said, adding that there were around 50 duck farmers there.

The center will cooperate with the National Committee for the Avian Influenza Monitoring and the Medical faculty of Udayana University .

The program is funded by Canadian government through the UNICEF.

Mahardika expected that the village would become an example for other villages in Bali.

Bali has so far recorded two deaths from the H5N1 virus. On Aug. 12 last year, 29-year old-Sri Widiantari from Jembrana regency died of bird flu, followed two years later by the death of 28-year-old Ayu Srinadi from Kediri, Tabanan Regency.

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/03/03/create-expands-bird-flu-project.html

 

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Re: More effective medication needed in fighting bird flu

Clean our neighborhoods

, , | Sat, 03/29/2008 11:13 AM | Opinion

Despite all its world-class shopping malls, office blocks and entertainment centers, Jakarta still struggles to eliminate a symbol of backwardness -- contagious diseases.

The capital is home to dengue fever, diarrhea, bird flu, respiratory diseases and more, all sparked by poor sanitation.

Does Jakarta deserve to be known as a modern metropolis? When it comes to its environment, the capital has more in common with the world's under-developed cities.

Since January, more than 6,000 Jakartans have been hospitalized with dengue fever. At least 10 people died because they received medical help too late. The dengue fever outbreak has forced hospitals to prepare large numbers of extra beds to deal with the surge in patients.

Health officials have warned of a possible spike in dengue fever cases during the transition period from the rainy to dry season. Jakartans should therefore anticipate the worst as the rainy season comes to its predicted close in late March or early April.

A number of programs have been introduced to improve sanitation in the capital, unfortunately without much success.

However, finger-pointing will not solve anything. Taxpayers deserve better sanitation facilities, but we also have to acknowledge that residents themselves are part of the problem, with our clogged sewers and open water containers offering perfect breeding spots for mosquitoes.

Most residents know in theory the dengue prevention routine, but as it includes the regular cleaning of water tanks some people close the door when health officers come to check for mosquito larvae in and around homes.

The absence of an integrated human waste treatment system in many parts of the city forces residents to use septic tanks, or just dump the waste directly into rivers. This has resulted in some 70 percent of Jakarta's underground water reportedly being contaminated with E. coli bacteria, which causes diarrhea.

Air pollution, which causes respiratory problems, remains another great challenge. Efforts to overcome the problem have faltered, particularly attempts to get Jakartans to give up their private vehicles.

The city has taken many measures to deal with many of these problems. In 2004, then governor Sutiyoso launched a program aimed at gradually eliminating dengue fever within three years, based on a similar program that had great results in Cuba.

The program was simple but required a strong commitment from all stakeholders. For 30 minutes every Friday, starting at 9 a.m., Jakartans were to clean up their neighborhoods to cut the life cycle of the aedes aegypti mosquitoes that spread dengue fever. Had it succeeded, within three years Jakarta would have been free of dengue fever.

But like many other commendable programs it failed because of a lack of public participation. Dengue fever continues to ravage not only slum areas, but also affects people in upscale residential areas.

It is time to act before more people fall victim to dengue or any of the other diseases that have become common to Jakarta.

Residents can not wait for action from the city administration -- check and see what you can do in your own neighborhood.

We hope the city administration also has a strong commitment to develop better sanitation infrastructure, better human waste treatment facilities and regular maintenance of drainage facilities, as well as actively campaigning to increase awareness of the importance of cleaner surroundings.

It may be a bit late to start, but this is the only way to stop the unnecessary deaths that affect both the rich and poor.

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/03/29/clean-our-neighborhoods.html