Don't panic over flu: WHO<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
World Health Organization (WHO) experts said on Thursday that the
\nincreasing number of people showing bird-flu-like symptoms in the
\ncountry did not mean that the outbreak was becoming worse.<\/p>\n
They asserted there was no evidence yet that the virus could
\nbe easily passed between people in the country -- a troubling
\nscenario that could lead to a global pandemic that killed
\nmillions.<\/p>\n
The statements came amid growing anxiety over the rising
\nnumber of suspected bird flu cases here, after the government
\nearlier warned people of the possibility that the outbreak could
\nbecome an epidemic. A number of foreign experts are expected to
\nmeet with government officials here on Friday to assess the
\nsituation.<\/p>\n
WHO's representative in Indonesia, Georg Petersen, said that
\nthere was as yet no evidence that the H5N1 bird flu strain had
\nmutated into a form that could trigger a pandemic, although he
\nwarned that there could be a possible human-to-human transmission
\nof the disease through close contact with an infected person.<\/p>\n
\"I think very close contact with a sick person might infect
\nthat caretaker. That is why in hospitals we need to take all
\nprecautions ... That would be, in a way, a human-to-human
\ntransmission, but that demands close, close contact,\" he told
\nReuters.<\/p>\n
The case of a father and his two daughters who died in the
\nTangerang, Banten, in July might have involved \"within-family
\ntransmission,\" Petersen said.<\/p>\n
Thailand earlier reported a case of probable human-to-human
\ntransmission in September 2004, when a 26-year-old woman died of
\nbird flu after a \"prolonged face-to-face exposure\" with her
\ndaughter, who was also hospitalized with the virus.<\/p>\n
Dr Margaret Chan, the WHO global special representative on
\navian flu, said there was so far no biological evidence for the
\nincreased chance of human-to-human transmission.<\/p>\n
Neither did a rise in the number of suspected cases point to
\nan epidemic, she said.<\/p>\n
\"With increased surveillance, it's not unusual that you would
\npick up more cases.\"<\/p>\n
The WHO last week warned bird flu was moving toward a form
\nthat could be passed between humans and the world had no time to
\nwaste to prevent a pandemic. Past influenza pandemics have
\nkilled millions.<\/p>\n
Bird flu has killed four Indonesians since July, and two
\nchildren who died this week are suspected of having had the
\ndisease. Laboratory test results are expected within days, as 13
\nother patients are under hospital observation.<\/p>\n
The government has increased measures to help curb the bird
\nflu outbreak after imposing an extraordinary alert status earlier
\nthis week. On Wednesday, the government dismissed the chief of
\nanimal health control, announced plans of a mass cull of chickens
\nin highly infected areas, and threatened to hospitalize, by force
\nif necessary, anyone showing symptoms of the disease.<\/p>\n
Victims were also promised free medication. Some 10,000
\ntablets of Tamiflu -- the only treatment so far proven effective
\nagainst bird flu in humans -- are now available.<\/p>\n
So far, most of bird flu victims have been in the Greater
\nJakarta area. On Thursday, the government said it planned to re-
\nzone poultry farms and slaughterhouses in Jakarta in a bid to
\nstop the spread of the bird flu virus.<\/p>\n
\"We will rearrange the poultry industry in Indonesia to
\nprevent the passing of zoonotic (animal) diseases from animals to
\nhumans,\" Ministry of Agriculture director-general of poultry,
\nMathur Riady said.<\/p>\n
Chicken traders and farmers in Jakarta have said bird flu
\nfears have sparked a sharp drop in sales.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/dont-panic-over-flu-who-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}