Singaporean measures against avian influenza
Encyclopedia
Singapore has taken a series of measures against avian influenza and the potential threat of a pandemic
.
avian influenza detected in Singapore, either in humans or poultry
.
will be very costly in terms of human lives as well as economic losses, especially in the densely populated city-state of Singapore.
Bird flu has infected poultry in large parts of Asia since 2003, killing at least 65 people, mostly in Vietnam
and Thailand
. Millions of birds have been culled to stop the spread of the disease. In October 2005, strain of the bird flu virus was detected in Turkey
and Romania
indicating that the avian flu was spreading from Asia
to Europe
. Most of the human deaths so far have been linked to contact with sick birds. But the World Health Organization
has said that the virus could mutate into a form that is more easily transmitted from human to human and possibly triggering a pandemic reminiscent of the 1918 flu epidemic
that killed tens of millions worldwide.
In Thailand
, a probable case of human-to-human transmission of H5N1
virus was reported in the northern province of Kamphaeng Phet
. This is consistent with current knowledge of the behaviour of H5N1 virus that inefficient, limited human-to-human transmission may occur on rare occasions. As of 17 October 2005, evidence indicated that spread among humans has been limited to this cases, nonetheless, surveillance has been intensified in the province.
than SARS, is likely to spread quickly and has a high morbidity and mortality
.
There will not be any vaccine initially, and the vaccine development will take at least 4 to 6 months. Even when developed, initial supply of the vaccine will be limited.
issued a public advisory calling for several groups of people to get themselves vaccinated against flu. They include
Those planning to travel to the Northern Hemisphere
over the next few months are also encouraged to get a flu vaccine at least a week or two before departure.
The Ministry also advised extra precaution for travellers to areas affected by the avian influenza outbreak including countries in Asia (Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and China) and Europe (Turkey, Romania, Greece, Russia). Travellers are advised avoid contact with poultry
such as chickens, geese, ducks, pigeons and wild birds and not go to places such as commercial or backyard poultry farms and markets selling live birds. They are advised not to handle or eat raw or undercooked poultry or foods containing uncooked poultry, including eggs.
Those who develop flu-like symptoms should seek medical help promptly, and inform the doctors of their travel history.
routinely carried out virological testing of respiratory samples from hospitals and polyclinics.
The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) also carries out routine surveillance on poultry.
The Jurong Bird Park has put 19 chickens, bred without any immunity, in all its aviaries
to help detect the presence of any infectious disease.
, this is to prevent infection on the livestock by migratory birds.
suspected victims.
Travel restrictions or advisories would be issued to restrict travel to and from countries which had outbreaks of bird flu.
All persons presenting with the abrupt onset of signs and symptoms will be treated with anti-virals. Front-line healthcare workers in hospitals and polyclinics will also be given anti-viral prophylaxis for the duration of the pandemic.
Influenza pandemic
An influenza pandemic is an epidemic of an influenza virus that spreads on a worldwide scale and infects a large proportion of the human population. In contrast to the regular seasonal epidemics of influenza, these pandemics occur irregularly, with the 1918 Spanish flu the most serious pandemic in...
.
Status
As of October 17, 2005, there were no cases of H5N1H5N1
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1, also known as "bird flu", A or simply H5N1, is a subtype of the influenza A virus which can cause illness in humans and many other animal species...
avian influenza detected in Singapore, either in humans or poultry
Poultry
Poultry are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of producing eggs, meat, and/or feathers. These most typically are members of the superorder Galloanserae , especially the order Galliformes and the family Anatidae , commonly known as "waterfowl"...
.
Threat
A major avian influenza pandemicInfluenza pandemic
An influenza pandemic is an epidemic of an influenza virus that spreads on a worldwide scale and infects a large proportion of the human population. In contrast to the regular seasonal epidemics of influenza, these pandemics occur irregularly, with the 1918 Spanish flu the most serious pandemic in...
will be very costly in terms of human lives as well as economic losses, especially in the densely populated city-state of Singapore.
Bird flu has infected poultry in large parts of Asia since 2003, killing at least 65 people, mostly in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
and Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. Millions of birds have been culled to stop the spread of the disease. In October 2005, strain of the bird flu virus was detected in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
indicating that the avian flu was spreading from Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Most of the human deaths so far have been linked to contact with sick birds. But the World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
has said that the virus could mutate into a form that is more easily transmitted from human to human and possibly triggering a pandemic reminiscent of the 1918 flu epidemic
Spanish flu
The 1918 flu pandemic was an influenza pandemic, and the first of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus . It was an unusually severe and deadly pandemic that spread across the world. Historical and epidemiological data are inadequate to identify the geographic origin...
that killed tens of millions worldwide.
In Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, a probable case of human-to-human transmission of H5N1
H5N1
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1, also known as "bird flu", A or simply H5N1, is a subtype of the influenza A virus which can cause illness in humans and many other animal species...
virus was reported in the northern province of Kamphaeng Phet
Kamphaeng Phet Province
Kamphaeng Phet is one of the provinces of Thailand, located in the north of the country. Neighboring provinces are Sukhothai, Phitsanulok, Phichit, Nakhon Sawan and Tak.- Etymology :...
. This is consistent with current knowledge of the behaviour of H5N1 virus that inefficient, limited human-to-human transmission may occur on rare occasions. As of 17 October 2005, evidence indicated that spread among humans has been limited to this cases, nonetheless, surveillance has been intensified in the province.
Risk assumption
When planning the response, it is assumed that the first local human case is likely to be imported from affected countries and is difficult to prevent. The virus, which is more infectiousInfectious disease
Infectious diseases, also known as communicable diseases, contagious diseases or transmissible diseases comprise clinically evident illness resulting from the infection, presence and growth of pathogenic biological agents in an individual host organism...
than SARS, is likely to spread quickly and has a high morbidity and mortality
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
.
There will not be any vaccine initially, and the vaccine development will take at least 4 to 6 months. Even when developed, initial supply of the vaccine will be limited.
Health advisory
On 24 October 2005, the Ministry of HealthMinistry of Health (Singapore)
The Ministry of Health is a ministry of the Government of Singapore responsible for providing information, raising health awareness and education, ensuring the accessibility of health services, and monitoring the quality of health services provided to citizens and visitors in the Republic of...
issued a public advisory calling for several groups of people to get themselves vaccinated against flu. They include
- elderly aged 65 years and above,
- those with chronic heart and lung diseases, and diabetes or renal diseases,
- children and teenagers aged six months to 18 years, who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy, and
- women in the second or third trimester of pregnancy.
Those planning to travel to the Northern Hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
over the next few months are also encouraged to get a flu vaccine at least a week or two before departure.
The Ministry also advised extra precaution for travellers to areas affected by the avian influenza outbreak including countries in Asia (Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and China) and Europe (Turkey, Romania, Greece, Russia). Travellers are advised avoid contact with poultry
Poultry
Poultry are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of producing eggs, meat, and/or feathers. These most typically are members of the superorder Galloanserae , especially the order Galliformes and the family Anatidae , commonly known as "waterfowl"...
such as chickens, geese, ducks, pigeons and wild birds and not go to places such as commercial or backyard poultry farms and markets selling live birds. They are advised not to handle or eat raw or undercooked poultry or foods containing uncooked poultry, including eggs.
Those who develop flu-like symptoms should seek medical help promptly, and inform the doctors of their travel history.
Surveillance
Surveillance for influenza involves monitoring for virus strains and disease activity. A nation-wide reporting scheme for acute respiratory infections has been established. The National Influenza CentreNational Influenza Centers
National Influenza Centers are institutions which are formally recognized as such by the World Health Organization ."The WHO Global Influenza Surveillance Network was established in 1952...
routinely carried out virological testing of respiratory samples from hospitals and polyclinics.
The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) also carries out routine surveillance on poultry.
The Jurong Bird Park has put 19 chickens, bred without any immunity, in all its aviaries
Aviary
An aviary is a large enclosure for confining birds. Unlike cages, aviaries allow birds a larger living space where they can fly; hence, aviaries are also sometimes known as flight cages...
to help detect the presence of any infectious disease.
Ban on live poultry
In June 2005, a ban was imposed on keeping live poultry in Pulau UbinPulau Ubin
Pulau Ubin is a small island situated in the north east of Singapore, to the west of Pulau Tekong. Granite quarrying supported a few thousand settlers on Pulau Ubin in the 1960s, but only about a hundred villagers live there today...
, this is to prevent infection on the livestock by migratory birds.
Hospital and medicine
To tackle a possible outbreak of bird flu, Singapore is increasing its resource such as isolation facilities in hospitals and stockpiling medicine. These medicines include Tamiflu and Relenza. As of November 2005, the country has supplies to treat 430,000 people. By sometime in 2006, there will be enough stockpile anti-viral medication for one quarter of the population. A priority plan has been outlined as to who will get these anti-viral drugs first when a bird flu pandemic breaks out and the first people to receive the drugs would be health workers, and those involved in essential services like power and public order.Outbreak response plan
In the event of an outbreak, Singapore will resume health screening of all visitors, as during the 2003 SARS crisis and quarantineQuarantine
Quarantine is compulsory isolation, typically to contain the spread of something considered dangerous, often but not always disease. The word comes from the Italian quarantena, meaning forty-day period....
suspected victims.
Travel restrictions or advisories would be issued to restrict travel to and from countries which had outbreaks of bird flu.
All persons presenting with the abrupt onset of signs and symptoms will be treated with anti-virals. Front-line healthcare workers in hospitals and polyclinics will also be given anti-viral prophylaxis for the duration of the pandemic.
Funding
In January 2006, Singapore announced that it will contribute S$1 million over three years to the global fund-raising effort to fight bird flu, specifically for ASEAN countries.Other sources
- Haugan, Salomon Avian Influenza: Etiology, Pathogenesis and Interventions (Public Health in the 21st Century. Nova Science Pub Inc. January 30, 2010) ISBN 978-1607418467
External links
- Singapore says ready to tackle birdflu pandemic - ReutersReutersReuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
, 17 October 2005 - S'pore has rapid response system in place to tackle flu pandemic - Channel NewsAsiaChannel NewsAsiaChannel NewsAsia is an English language pan-Asian news network based in Singapore and owned by MediaCorp. Started on 1 March 1999 based in Singapore by Television Corporation of Singapore, it was launched internationally on 12 February 2001 as the international broadcasting arm of Channel...
, 17 October 2005