The bird flu death toll on the Chinese mainland has risen to
five, after two more people died of the H5N1 virus last week. The
situation is also very serious in Turkey, where 18 people have
reportedly been infected with the virus, of whom two have died.
From November 16 last year, when the first human infection on
the mainland was reported, there have been eight confirmed cases of
avian influenza.
Two more deaths are a warning that the situation is still
serious, and that we must never slacken efforts in monitoring and
preventative work.
Xinhua News Agency quoted a notice from the Ministry of Health
saying no contact with wild birds or domestic fowl was reported in
some instances of infection at home and abroad.
This indicates there may be unknown sources of infection, which
has made monitoring and preventative work even more difficult.
Spring Festival is just around the corner, traditionally when
families get together for celebrations.
Millions of Chinese will be on the move, which could make it
easier for a virus such as H5N1 to be passed on.
More than 10 billion trips are expected to be made by train,
bus, air and ship passengers from the middle of this month to early
February.
Although we have established bird flu monitoring stations across
the country, more efforts are needed to upgrade monitoring and
preventative measures during this special period.
Measures should be taken to sterilize passenger vehicles and
waiting rooms at railway stations, airports and bus stations.
Medical teams should be ready to handle suspected cases among
travelers.
Given the fact that some infected patients in Ankara displayed
only mild symptoms, or no symptoms at all although they have been
found to carry the virus, we should watch out to see if there are
such cases that have gone unnoticed.
Since there is so much to discover about how the H5N1 strain
spreads among birds, how humans are infected and whether there are
different types of the virus, our vigilance must be maintained.
When travelers return to work after Spring Festival, birds are
likely to be on the move as well, coming from south to north in
early spring; and some may have flown from other countries.
It is possible some of these migrating birds may carry bird flu
and therefore pose a threat to other birds and humans alike.
We must have contingency plans for dealing with possible
outbreaks among domestic fowl.
It is good news that the testing of vaccines against avian
influenza is in the pipeline. Those that have been injected with
the vaccines on a trial basis have not suffered any negative
effects.
The trials are continuing, but it will take time before the
vaccines are used on a clinical basis.
Experience from fighting SARS has shown that transparency in
information, efficient monitoring and preventative measures and
effective quarantine of those infected will help prevent a
pandemic.
(China Daily January 16, 2006)
