The potential spread of suspicious pneumonia cases and any cover
ups or delays in quickly reporting any concerns could lead to the
spread of infectious diseases, China's Ministry of Health warned
Tuesday. They restated the need for timely reporting of cases.
Respiratory diseases were common at this time of year and
heightened awareness was needed to prevent and control SARS and
infections of the highly pathogenic bird flu, said a statement on
the ministry website.
However, some medical institutes were failing to quickly report
on "pneumonia cases with unknown causes" or avoided using the term
by diagnosing them as severe pneumonia, it said.
Local health authorities had failed to respond quickly to
reports and some pneumonia patients who had been in contact with
sick or dead poultry were moved to other hospitals without
guidance, risking the spread of infectious diseases.
The ministry reiterated that medical institutes must make direct
reports of suspicious pneumonia cases through the national network
and inform local health authorities immediately.
It instructed local health authorities to use experts to
investigate cases as soon as they received reports. Centers for
disease control (CDC) were ordered to carry out epidemiological
research and laboratory testing and provide the results
quickly.
CDCs without the facilities and expertise for testing must
deliver samples to CDCs at higher levels, and positive samples and
those required by the ministry must be sent to the national CDC for
verification without delay.
Careful screening was necessary for possible human cases of bird
flu, said the ministry, noting that suspicious pneumonia cases must
be verified jointly by epidemiological history, lab testing and
clinical studies.
Samples testing negative for the H5N1 strain of bird flu, but
with an epidemiological history, were required with two antibody
tests being taken in the acute and recovery periods.
Pneumonia cases with no clear epidemiological history required
further tests and medical observation before the possibility of
acute infectious respiratory diseases like bird flu could be ruled
out.
Suspicious pneumonia fatalities were required to undergo
autopsies, the ministry said, adding that investigation of each
case with an unknown cause should be reported.
China has reported 17 human bird flu infections, 12 of which
resulted in fatalities. The Ministry of Health has urged local
medical institutes and health authorities to improve surveillance,
staff training and laboratory capacity as well as to educate the
public to avoid all contact with sick and dead poultry.
The World Health Organization had recorded 204 human cases of
bird flu involving 113 deaths by April 21. Experts have warned the
virus could mutate into a form which may be able pass between
people and cause a pandemic.
(Xinhua News Agency April 26, 2006)