March 14, 2007

 

Six Asian countries test preparedness for possible bird flu pandemic
 

 

Officials from six Asian countries shared fears Wednesday of the impact of a flu pandemic caused by a mutation of the bird flu virus, voicing concerns about food and water shortages and mass movement of panic-stricken populations.

 

Delegates from China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam met for a second day of exercises testing their ability to respond should the H5N1 bird flu virus mutate into a form that is more easily spread among humans.

 

Officials from agencies, ranging from tourism to defense, raised issues they would likely be forced to handle, including a flood of people seeking medical care in neighbouring countries and a lack of public trust that could lead to social upheaval.

 

"In a pandemic, people are afraid of getting infected," said Dr Htar Htar Lin, an epidemiologist from Myanmar's Ministry of Health. "How can we help each other, and how can we keep the humanity among the people?"

 

The participants were faced with a mock scenario that was certainly feasible: After 18 people from one Malaysian community tested positive for bird flu along with three health care workers, it was confirmed that the H5N1 virus had mutated into a form that could spread more easily among people. The virus then began to spread across the region and beyond.

 

The decisions made during the event, and the time it took to carry out the plans, helped the officials gauge how prepared they were for a real situation.

 

"We think this is a very dangerous point for us," said Dr Preecha Prempree, an epidemiologist from Thailand's Ministry of Health, who said Asia is the most likely place where a pandemic could emerge. "We have to have cooperation in the region."

 

The delegates referred to problems faced during the 2003 spread of the SARS virus, which emerged in Asia and killed nearly 800 people worldwide. They discussed the best strategies for protecting health care workers, keeping infected people from crossing borders and isolating the sick.

 

"They learned a lot from their experience with SARS, which does not necessarily mean they have solved all the problems that they had," said Dr Melinda Moore, a senior health researcher for the RAND Corp., a US think tank that helped design the exercise. "But at least it's a basis for understanding where the gaps are, what the issues are - not just in the abstract but because they actually experienced them."

 

The two-day simulation comes as several countries in the region are tackling a resurgence of bird flu. Myanmar and Vietnam are both experiencing new outbreaks in poultry, while Laos recently reported its first human case and fatality.

 

The H5N1 bird flu virus remains hard for people to catch, but experts fear it may mutate into a form that spreads easily among people, potentially sparking a pandemic. So far, most human cases have been traced to contact with infected birds.

 

At least 168 people have died from the disease since it began ravaging Asian poultry stocks in late 2003.