While media interest wanes somewhat on the issue of H5N1 Avian or Bird Influenza, the last month was actually a busy month. It was also a very sad month for the families who lost lives due to the virus. And for many people, the economic toll of having to cull – a nice way to say kill – their livelihood was a huge burden.

In several countries chickens, ducks and other birds were rounded up and culled as the flu virus spread through farms and went on to infect several people. In China, Laos and Egypt for example families were struck down as the human cases climbed.

Kuwait has hit hard although to date no human victims have been found. In England the largest chicken farm in Europe was closed down for a while. And while fingers are being pointed at one another and questions asked as to who is responsible, the reality is that the world just isn’t prepared yet should the virus take a turn for the worst and infect one person, and then the next and the next …

On the good side there were several companies who have reported encouraging research news on vaccines and vaccinations but of course many of the new drugs are unproven. The UN continues to urge countries to be better prepared and give them their dues; they have been training and explaining the problem to governments across the globe.

The month began with Myanmar (former Burma) reporting fresh outbreaks of bird flu. The Middle East began culling chickens with the Crown Prince of Kuwait doing a count to see if enough Tamiflu was stockpiled. China and Vietnam also reported new cases of Avian Influenza in both birds and people.

The equivalent of US$ 450 million for the Egypt H5N1 campaign was announced and Dutch farmers in the Netherlands were ordered to keep their poultry indoors. Australia had a bit of a scare when they found some of their scientists were perhaps exposed to bird flu while at the same time a women died in Laos. South Korea also tested positive again.

As more people became infected in Indonesia and Afghanistan, pharmaceutical companies began more testing of drugs with different mechanisms from the current class of drugs approved. DNA samples from a dead aristocrat from the early 1900′s “Spanish Flu” are still being held out as hopeful aid to understanding the risks. The USA and UN officials agreed to coordinate Avian Flu efforts as did Indonesia and China. Meetings were also held in various parts of the world to discuss cause and effects of a relentless H5N1 month.

So what will this month bring? Hopefully more cooperation and certainly vigilance is necessary. But for those who have lost family or friends and been forced to cull a vital part of the local income, most people will simply hope this next month isn’t as bad as the last. We’ll see.

And, experts say a fresh outbreak of avian influenza in Nigeria is more widespread than thought.

Meanwhile, the University of Maryland School of Medicine will begin testing its cell-based bird flu vaccine in January in preparation for a possible flu pandemic in the near future although it is still too early to build up stockpiles of bird flu vaccine in preparation for a human flu pandemic, flu experts say.

French authorities say they cannot rule out bird flu after 4,000 chickens died on a French farm on Saturday, 16 December 2006 and scientists are out in force in effort to identify deadly strain believed to be Avian Influenza in Delaware, USA.

Sure, CBS can publish columns from Michael Fumento and other ostriches who want to bury their heads in the sand and claim the extra money spent on health care has not strengthened the global system for the future, and true, alarmists are equally to blame trying to make a buck on this or at least get their moment of fame. What we really need is a wise balance and to pull together to help all the world. Every time I go to Sudan and see how little is done and how hard it is to help, I wonder why we aren’t further advanced in our 21st Century.

A set of activities identified in the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) new Global pandemic influenza action plan to increase vaccine supply requires immediate and sustained action and funding, if the world is to be prepared for an influenza pandemic to which there would be almost universal susceptibility.

A report on last winters cases in Turkey seem to indicate that children and youth may be particularly susceptible to the virus.

“To some extent, this reflects the same age distribution observed globally, where 50.5% of cases occurred among people aged <20 years, and it suggests that age-related factors may influence susceptibility to the disease,” the report states.

Meanwhile, WHO reports that, “We are presently several billion doses short of the amount of pandemic influenza vaccine we would need to protect the global population. This situation could lead to a public health crisis,” said Dr Marie-Paule Kieny, Director, WHO Initiative for Vaccine Research. “The Global Action Plan sets the course for what needs to be done, starting now, to increase vaccine production capacity and close the gap. In just three to five years we could begin to see results that could save many lives in case of a pandemic.”

Of the case-patients described in the report, all of those who died in Turkey were teenagers, while all the survivors were younger children, aged three to nine years. “This reflects closely the global situation where the highest case-fatality rate (73%) has been observed in the 10-19-year age group,” the article says.

Turkey was the first country outside Southeast Asia to report human cases. A total of 21 human H5N1 cases had been reported in January on the basis of tests in a Turkish laboratory, but only 12 of these were confirmed by the WHO because the remainder were not confirmed in reference labs recognised by the organisation.

Bird-Flu Pandemic Could Cost $2 Trillion
RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty – Prague,Czech Republic
September 18, 2006 — A severe bird-flu pandemic among humans could cost the … Health Organization official said the threat from the H5N1 avian-flu virus was …

Indonesia receives US$47 million to overcome bird flu
Antara – Antara,Indonesia
… receiving senior UN System Coordinator for Avian and Human … government of Indonesia`s top bird flu priorities such … sustained action to control the H5N1 virus at …

Bird Flu Fighters Await $670 Mln From Donors, World Bank Says
Bloomberg – USA
… for a global effort to fight bird flu. … to bolster disease surveillance and management of avian flu. Human fatalities from the H5N1 avian influenza strain have …

US offers more bird flu funding
Jakarta Post – Jakarta,Indonesia
… Aburizal Bakrie,, USAID Avian Influenza director Dennis Caroll said that the US was pleased with the Indonesian government’s redefined bird flu priorities. …

… and so it goes on!

read more articles on epidemics | digg story

The summer solstice (first day of summer) is due later this month but Bird Flu season hasn’t diminished from our daily lives at all. Here are just a few headlines from countries all over the world I spotted this morning!

EGYPT: Poultry industry set to recover, union says

CAMEROON: Chicken back on the menu despite bird flu presence

YEMEN: Poultry business loses US $1 million a day due to bird-flu fears

EGYPT: Human bird-flu deaths prevalent among breeders, says health ministry

COTE D IVOIRE: Poultry cull in city markets after bird flu outbreaks

IRAQ: Government reiterates readiness to fight bird flu

EGYPT: Health ministry reports 13th human bird flu case

EGYPT: Last human bird flu case recovers, say health authorities

COTE D IVOIRE: Bird flu strikes urban residential area

AFGHANISTAN: Deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu hits fourth province

JORDAN: In wake of bird flu panic, chicken sales back to normal

JORDAN: WHO declares country free of bird flu, prevention measures maintained

BURKINA FASO: Bird flu continues to spread

DJIBOUTI: First human case of avian flu

NIGERIA: Bird flu fears decline, but experts warn against complacency

PAKISTAN: USAID provides avian flu detection equipment

INDONESIA: bird flu death verified

CHINA: China to stop using human flu drug on poultry

NIGER: New bird flu outbreak near Nigeria: official

ROMANIA: EU extends Romania poultry ban to entire country

DENMARK: Danish ducks had less serious strain of bird flu

The need to keep our eyes on Bird Flu from the international perspective is clear, or? Your comments are welcome.

You can view these stories and more from the Reuters link>>

According to the Miami Herald, the city of Miami Springs drafted a flier warning about the dangers of handling dead birds including news of the new $50 fine and law. Created by the communities policing office and City Management desk, the flier gives residents the facts on the H5N1 virus including possible dangers from handling dead animals. Residents are warned in writing to stay away from dead animals and to call the Miami Springs Police Department immediately if any are found.

Although few people have called in to the Police, it is good to hear of an effective method to help the public be aware without causing panic. Also noteworthy is that the police, according to the report, have set up a communications bridge to the “Miami-Dade County Health Department to test the birds for mosquito-borne viruses such as West Nile.”

I liked very much the summary given by the Florida Department of Health’s spokesman Doc Kokol when he said, ‘It’s important that we understand that there is no H5N1 avian flu in the North American continent,” Kokol said. “Now is a time for people to prepare, not panic. We recommend that all Floridians stay aware and informed locally.”

Now if every community created similar fliers and built networks, public awareness would go up and potential panic would go down. Good job Miami Springs, keep up the good work!

The movie follows a fairly typical scenario of a businessman flying home from his visit to China. He is of course infected and dies shortly after returning to his home in Richmond, Virginia.

Next, the country’s top epidemiologist, Dr. Iris Varnack (played by Joely Richardson) flies off to China to check the human-to-human transmission of the avian influenza. Her predictions are not good. Her report to Washington is that between 150 to 350 million people globally could die.

Amid the chaos, instability, soaring prices and usual hardships plans emerge and unlikely neighbors become community organizors.

As the wave of bird flu dwindles in America, Dr. Iris Varnack is called upon to check a new, deadlier strain in Angola.

—-

Not unlike a scenario I wrote several months ago, I think this type of movie helpful. The more we understand what the dangers could be, the more we are likely to avoid some of the very pitfalls “Fatal Contact” so vividly depicts. What do you think?

(Fatal Contact: Bird Flu in America, with Joely Richardson (Dr. Iris Varnack), Stacy Keach (Collin Reed), Ann Cusack (Denise Connelly), Justina Machado (Alma Ansen), Scott Cohen (Gov. Mike Newsome) and David Ramsey (Curtis Ansen).
Executive producers, Diana Kerew and Judith Verno for Sony Pictures Television; written by Ron McGee; directed by Richard Pearce.)

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