Health Authorities geared to tackle Bird Flu

BY BHARATHA Malawaraarachchi

HEALTH authorities yesterday assured the public that all precautionary measures are in place to tackle any possible outbreak of the bird flu epidemic which is currently sweeping many South Asian countries.

"We are well equipped to face any threats," a top level Health Ministry official told the Daily News yesterday. He stressed Sri Lanka was never affected by this disease even when it was at its peak affecting many countries in Asia and around the world.

Director General of Health Department Dr. Athula Kahandaliyange said necessary precautionary measures are in place to face any threat from this epidemic.

"Precautionary programs have been prepared in accordance with the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines to face any threat," added Dr. Kahandaliyange. His comments came amidst a call by the WHO on countries around the world to press ahead with their preparations for a threatened flu pandemic after a study in Vietnam showed signs of a greater risk of human to human transmission of bird flu being possible.

Meanwhile, the BBC reported that newspapers across South East Asia are nervous about their governments' ability to cope with the Avian Influenza outbreak affecting large parts of the region.

Hanoi datelined AFP report said Vietnamese officials Tuesday reported a new death from bird flu in the country's north, raising the number of people who have died from the disease in Vietnam since late 2003 to 38. Last year, Sri Lankan health authorities took several precautionary measures to face the threat of bird flu.

In February last year, health authorities decided to screen passengers arriving from Avian Influenza (AI) infected countries and have had visited a poultry farm within a stipulated period, at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA).

The Ministry had imposed a ban on chick imports as a precautionary measure to safeguard the local poultry industry. Those decisions were taken by the Joint Committee established to prevent any possible outbreak of the AI infection in Sri Lanka.

The Joint Committee comprises the Health Ministry and Department of Animal Production and Health (DAPH). Besides, authorities imposed a ban on import of live poultry and poultry meat products and by-products imported from infected countries.

Also, authorities decided to suspend the import of live birds, poultry meat products and by products from all Asian countries. The suspension covered the import of pet (ornamental) or captive birds from all countries. The committee also decided to restrict the import of animal feed from Asian countries and to destroy any unauthorised import of live poultry and poultry meat products and by-products.

A top Ministerial Committee headed by Dr. Kahandaliyange finalised the guidelines and take necessary preventive measures, based on the experience of countries which fought against this disease, opinion of the local and foreign experts and the guidelines issued by the WHO.

Last year, the H5N1 bird flu virus emerged in Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Laos and South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam, while Taiwan and Pakistan have reported weaker strains.