WHO yet to recognize Indonesia's 24th bird flu death

[DB]

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/17042006/323/recognize-indonesia-s-24th-bird-flu-death.html
WHO yet to recognize Indonesia's 24th bird flu death

JAKARTA (AFP) - The World Health Organisation (WHO) has not yet recognized what Indonesia has described as its 24th bird flu fatality but discussions about the case were ongoing, a spokeswoman said.

The head of the Indonesian health ministry's bird flu command post said early this month that samples taken from an eight-year-old girl who died last July had returned positive results from a WHO-affiliated laboratory.

A WHO spokeswoman in Jakarta, Sari Setiogi, said however that the case "doesn't meet the WHO case definition" for the deadly H5N1 virus.
"We are having continuing discussions at WHO to decide on the final classification... We might confirm it one day or we might not confirm it," she said.

The spokeswoman said that the WHO-affiliated laboratory at the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta had run fresh tests using the latest technology on samples taken from the girl last year.

"But since it's still something relatively new to all of us... the WHO case definition has not yet been adjusted to it," she said.

"At the moment her case is one of a number of cases in countries that cannot be captured by current definitions."

Ilham Patu, spokesman for the national bird flu team, told AFP Monday that Indonesia considered the results showed the girl was the country's 24th victim.

Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous nation, has witnessed more bird flu deaths than any other country this year and has the second highest number of fatalities reported in the world since 2003, after Vietnam.

The sprawling archipelago nation has become a bird flu "time-bomb" because of its failure to eradicate H5N1 from numerous areas, the head of the World Organisation for Animal Health warned last week.

 

[DB]

Re: WHO yet to recognize Indonesia's 24th bird flu death

"But since it's still something relatively new to all of us... the WHO case definition has not yet been adjusted to it," she said.

"At the moment her case is one of a number of cases in countries that cannot be captured by current definitions."

This is confirming what we already know.

Human cases of Bird Flu are not being registered because something doesn't match the WHO definition.

If a person does not have close contact with birds but tests positive for the virus they do not match the WHO definition therefore they do not get registered as a case.

Talk about the blind leading the blind.

 

[DB]

Re: WHO yet to recognize Indonesia's 24th bird flu death

If I am reading this right it appears that WHO is going to redefine what constitutes a case.

 

[Snowy Owl]

Re: WHO yet to recognize Indonesia's 24th bird flu death

Guiding Principles for International Outbreak Alert and Response
The Guiding Principles for International Outbreak Alert and Response are an articulation of the consensus of partners in the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network on how to prepare for field activity, to activate international support, to coordinate response in the field, to evaluate and follow up outbreaks of international importance.
Detailed standard operating protocols support the Guiding Principles and address the broad spectrum of operational issues and the challenges of coordinated international outbreak response.
The Guiding Principles for International Outbreak Alert and Response aim to improve the delivery of international assistance in support of local efforts by partners in the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network, and seek to promote the highest standards of professional performance in the field.
:: Guiding Principles for International Outbreak Alert and Response

• WHO ensures outbreaks of potential international importance are rapidly verified and information is quickly shared within the Network.
• There is a rapid response coordinated by the Operational Support Team to requests for assistance from affected state(s).
• The most appropriate experts reach the field in the least possible time to carry out coordinated and effective outbreak control activities.
• The international team integrates and coordinates activities to support national efforts and existing public health infrastructure.
• There is a fair and equitable process for the participation of Network partners in international responses.
• There is strong technical leadership and coordination in the field.
• Partners make every effort to ensure the effective coordination of their participation and support of outbreak response.
• There is recognition of the unique role of national and international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in the area of health, including in the control of outbreaks. NGOs providing support that would not otherwise be available, particularly in reaching poor populations. While striving for effective collaboration and coordination, the Network will respect the independence and objectivity of all partners.
• Responses will be used as a mechanism to build global capacity by the involvement of participants from field-based training programmes in applied epidemiology and public health practice, e.g. Field Epidemiology Training Programmes (FETPs).
• There is commitment to national and regional capacity building as a follow up to international outbreak responses to improve preparedness and reduce future vulnerability to epidemic prone diseases.
• All Network responses will proceed with full respect for ethical standards, human rights, national and local laws, cultural sensitivities and traditions.

http://www.who.int/csr/outbreaknetwork/guidingprinciples/en/index.html