Govt asked to intensify public information campaign on bird flu
Govt asked to intensify public information campaign on bird flu
Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Limited knowledge of how avian influenza is contracted and an
inadequate poultry cull are only two of the problems this country
has to address in order to contain the "extraordinary" outbreak.
However, doctors here said that despite the complicated
challenges, the government should have done more in handling the
outbreak, particularly in raising public awareness.
The H5N1 strain of bird flu has killed four people in the
country, and may have caused the death of another girl, sparking
fears that the disease could quickly turn into an epidemic.
Another two children are suspected of having the virus as
their symptoms are similar. Nine other people have been admitted
to Jakarta's infectious disease hospital with bird flu-like
symptoms, including pneumonia and leukopenia, a drastic decline
in the white blood cells.
Chairman of the Indonesian Doctor Association (IDI) Farid
Anfasa Moeloek and pulmonologist Tjandra Yoga Aditama said the
government should increase the education and information
dissemination so that people are more aware of the outbreak.
As virus transmission has been linked to contacts with sick
poultry, particularly their excrement, Farid said that it was
very essential to keep everything clean.
"However, environmental health has long been neglected, not
just within households, but also at corporations or factories,"
Farid, a former health minister, told The Jakarta Post on
Wednesday.
He added that the government had held on too much to the "sick
paradigm" that focuses on medication instead of the "healthy
paradigm" that focuses on prevention, education and
familiarization.
"The latter is certainly much cheaper," he said.
Meanwhile, Tjandra said more intensive information
dissemination regarding the symptoms of the disease was needed,
as its symptoms can rarely be distinguished from those of regular
flu, which was why so many people went to the hospital when it
was too late.
The antiviral medication (oseltamivir/tamiflu) that doctors
are using also has several drawbacks, he said, particularly the
limited supply and the fact that it only is effective if given
within 40 hours of the onset of symptoms.
"It cannot heal the illness completely, either," he said,
adding that the vaccine to prevent the disease had not yet been
produced.
Media coverage of the outbreak has triggered fear among people
about eating chicken or eggs, which, Tjandra said was largely
unnecessary.
First, he asserted, avian influenza is transmitted as humans
ingest the virus contained in the saliva or feces of sick fowl.
"It's the flu, much like a regular flu. People don't get
either regular flu or bird flu from eating chicken. It has never
happened so far. The avian influenza cases in the world have
occurred because of contact with sick living chickens, or while
slaughtering them."
Scientific studies also show that chicken that is cooked over
70 degrees Celsius will kill the virus, if there is any.