The World Health Organisation (WHO) is monitoring new outbreaks of Avian Influenza (bird flu) among poultry populations in several countries and Guyana must be on the alert, according to former Health Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy.
Former Health Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy
Since November, the WHO has documented bird flu outbreaks in poultry and wild birds in at least 40 countries in Asia and Europe and some human deaths in China. These outbreaks have led to large scale culling of poultry in several countries.
Dr Ramsammy noted that the world’s premier public health organisation is urging countries to closely monitor these outbreaks and to maintain active surveillance, whether countries are near these outbreaks or not.
“Guyana must be on alert. Both the Ministries of Health and Agriculture must work together in an active surveillance programme. It is not too soon to at least think of a dual sector program,” he urged in a statement on Friday.
The H7N9 avian virus has killed 87 people in China between January 1 and February 12 this year. On February 11, the first acute case of H7N9 avian flu in Beijing appeared, a certain signal of a spreading epidemic in China. The present outbreak with at least 87 deaths so far is worse than the original H7N9 flu outbreak in March 2013. For the first time, human cases of the deadly H7N9 virus have emerged in China, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Macau. There are at least five other flu viruses presently circulating in China. Several others are spreading in various Asian and European countries. Two types of bird flu, H3N2 and H5N6, have claimed large numbers of chickens and domestic birds in South Korea and the United States this year, and have spread to domestic cats.
“It is troubling that so many different kinds of avian virus, all with worrying virulent rates, are spreading in different countries simultaneously,” Dr Ramsammy expressed.
The WHO’s “high alert” was issued on January 23, 2017. It does not require any specific action to be taken by countries such as Guyana, but it does require vigilance and an active surveillance system among wild birds and poultry.
Dr Ramsammy presumed that it may also require surveillance of people coming from countries affected.
In the USA, the CDC issued a health advisory for people traveling to China, and Guyana ought to do the same.
The former Health Minister noted that if the outbreak worsens, the WHO will next issue a “public health emergency of international concern” advisory.
He said at that time, Guyana and other countries must take specific action.
“If avian flu virus enters Guyana it is likely to do so through wild birds, most likely, or through human cases entering Guyana through our air or shipping ports,” he explained.
But he noted that “hopefully, none of these will reach Guyana.”
In this regard, Dr Ramsammy is urging the authorities in Guyana and in Caricom to be vigilant and not to be caught by surprise.
