Gert van der Hoek
In Memoriam - Editor, Senior Moderator
FIGHT AGAINST BIRD FLU
S'pore stocked up on bird flu drugs
It has enough doses to treat 25 per cent of population in the event of pandemic
By Shobana Kesava & Liaw Wy-Cin
REUTERS
THE Singapore authorities have completed building up the stockpile of drugs to help combat bird flu, a key component in the battle plan to keep the dreaded disease at bay.
Singapore has bought and received 1.05 million doses of Tamiflu and 50,000 doses of Relenza. The Ministry of Health (MOH) told The Straits Times that together, they are enough to treat 25 per cent of the population in a pandemic.
In addition, as it is free of bird flu, Singapore has been designated the holding centre for another 500,000 doses of Tamiflu for Asean countries.
The H5N1 virus, which causes bird flu, is especially feared now because it has killed over half the more than 300 people infected so far. Although it rarely infects humans, it could mutate into a form that transmits easily from one person to another.
To date, Singapore's bird flu defences have held up.
Seventeen suspected bird flu patients have been reported in Singapore since the start of the year.
None tested positive for bird flu.
MOH told The Straits Times all patients were admitted to hospital with flu-like symptoms and had travelled recently.
No confirmed bird flu case has been detected in Singapore, but the health authorities remain vigilant.
Four hospitals here - Singapore General, National University, Tan Tock Seng and KK Women's and Children's - can test for avian flu.
Doctors at clinics and other hospitals can send their patients to these four hospitals for testing.
The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority, which regulates food safety and animal health, also carries out daily tests on imported poultry, and wild birds are tested regularly, especially during the migratory season.
Since January, 3,657 birds have been tested. In all, last year, 15,420 were checked. Birds at Jurong Bird Park and the Singapore Zoo are vaccinated.
Furthermore, imports of avian products are allowed only from bird flu-free zones. And all consignments of live birds are closely inspected alongside checks against smuggling.
If all these measures fail to keep bird flu out, Singapore has trained manpower prepared for culling operations in an emergency.
The reason Singapore's 'high alert' level against bird flu remains is that Tamiflu and Relenza are not foolproof against constantly evolving strains of the H5N1 virus.
Even as Singapore tries to cover all angles within the country to fight the problem, it has joined forces with the country hardest hit by bird flu in the world: Indonesia.
Indonesia and Singapore pledged US$4.5 million (S$6.9 million) last month to control the virus over the next three years in Tangerang, a badly affected municipality in Java.
The money will go towards prevention and control activities, surveillance and outbreak responses, case management, diagnostic lab work and public awareness campaigns.
Scientists and senior officials from the World Health Organisation and governments around the world have met regularly to address the problem.
Just last week, they gathered in Paris for the second International Conference on Avian Influenza in Humans.
But with the years of warning of a pandemic remaining just that - merely a threat - is all this fuss alarmist in nature?
Virologists think not. Dr Vincent Chow, who is president of the Asia-Pacific Society for Medical Virology, told The Straits Times the danger is very real.
Dr Chow said having society prepared for a pandemic of any kind is the only sensible option.
'In 1918, it took a few months for influenza to circulate the globe. Twenty million to 50 million people died. When Sars hit in 2003, it went from Hong Kong to Canada in two to three days.
'To wish this away as hype is totally irresponsible.'
http://www.straitstimes.com/Free/Story/STIStory_125652.html
S'pore stocked up on bird flu drugs
It has enough doses to treat 25 per cent of population in the event of pandemic
By Shobana Kesava & Liaw Wy-Cin
REUTERS
THE Singapore authorities have completed building up the stockpile of drugs to help combat bird flu, a key component in the battle plan to keep the dreaded disease at bay.
Singapore has bought and received 1.05 million doses of Tamiflu and 50,000 doses of Relenza. The Ministry of Health (MOH) told The Straits Times that together, they are enough to treat 25 per cent of the population in a pandemic.
In addition, as it is free of bird flu, Singapore has been designated the holding centre for another 500,000 doses of Tamiflu for Asean countries.
The H5N1 virus, which causes bird flu, is especially feared now because it has killed over half the more than 300 people infected so far. Although it rarely infects humans, it could mutate into a form that transmits easily from one person to another.
To date, Singapore's bird flu defences have held up.
Seventeen suspected bird flu patients have been reported in Singapore since the start of the year.
None tested positive for bird flu.
MOH told The Straits Times all patients were admitted to hospital with flu-like symptoms and had travelled recently.
No confirmed bird flu case has been detected in Singapore, but the health authorities remain vigilant.
Four hospitals here - Singapore General, National University, Tan Tock Seng and KK Women's and Children's - can test for avian flu.
Doctors at clinics and other hospitals can send their patients to these four hospitals for testing.
The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority, which regulates food safety and animal health, also carries out daily tests on imported poultry, and wild birds are tested regularly, especially during the migratory season.
Since January, 3,657 birds have been tested. In all, last year, 15,420 were checked. Birds at Jurong Bird Park and the Singapore Zoo are vaccinated.
Furthermore, imports of avian products are allowed only from bird flu-free zones. And all consignments of live birds are closely inspected alongside checks against smuggling.
If all these measures fail to keep bird flu out, Singapore has trained manpower prepared for culling operations in an emergency.
The reason Singapore's 'high alert' level against bird flu remains is that Tamiflu and Relenza are not foolproof against constantly evolving strains of the H5N1 virus.
Even as Singapore tries to cover all angles within the country to fight the problem, it has joined forces with the country hardest hit by bird flu in the world: Indonesia.
Indonesia and Singapore pledged US$4.5 million (S$6.9 million) last month to control the virus over the next three years in Tangerang, a badly affected municipality in Java.
The money will go towards prevention and control activities, surveillance and outbreak responses, case management, diagnostic lab work and public awareness campaigns.
Scientists and senior officials from the World Health Organisation and governments around the world have met regularly to address the problem.
Just last week, they gathered in Paris for the second International Conference on Avian Influenza in Humans.
But with the years of warning of a pandemic remaining just that - merely a threat - is all this fuss alarmist in nature?
Virologists think not. Dr Vincent Chow, who is president of the Asia-Pacific Society for Medical Virology, told The Straits Times the danger is very real.
Dr Chow said having society prepared for a pandemic of any kind is the only sensible option.
'In 1918, it took a few months for influenza to circulate the globe. Twenty million to 50 million people died. When Sars hit in 2003, it went from Hong Kong to Canada in two to three days.
'To wish this away as hype is totally irresponsible.'
http://www.straitstimes.com/Free/Story/STIStory_125652.html
