Raise awareness to fight bird flu

THE news of the outbreak of bird flu among local species of poultries at Jessore must be dealt with utmost seriousness. Earlier bird flu was detected first at Savar in Dhaka. That the culling and the quarantine of poultry birds in the farms at Savar was not enough, subsequent reporting of bird flu in other parts of the country proved. The latest finding of bird flu at Jessore indicates that it may have become a widespread problem. It is difficult to detect and quarantine infected local poultry birds because these are not reared in farms but roam about at rural homesteads freely. Besides, people continue to eat poultry products since the first detection of bird flu with the least care. Thus, the concerns about the health threat from bird flu has turned much worse and needs to be dealt with more seriously considering its potential for gravely endangering people's life on a large scale.

The Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) and other law enforcement bodies were previously alerted to stop consignments of chickens and eggs from India entering our territories where bird flu was seen to be spreading alarmigly. They need to be alerted again. BDR personnel need to be briefed thoroughly that a health hazard of very great proportions may hit Bangladesh if there is slack in their duty. This will, hopefully, increase their resolve to guard the borders against coming of poultry- infected products.

All poultry farms in the country as well as local poultry birds and products must be brought under surveillance . The poultry farms here will have to be supplied with special gears for their workers and staff to be worn while handling the birds. Complete restriction on movements of chickens and eggs from the affected areas must be sternly enforced .

Bangladesh, at the moment, stands awfully unprepared to treat even a moderate spread of human cases of the disease. The government should place orders with the pharmaceutical companies for supply of drugs that proved best for the treatment of bird flu in humans. The government may also appeal for funds from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other sources to gear up preparedness to fight bird flu.

Every effort must be also made to protect the poultry farms. About 3.5 million people are employed in the poultry sector that adds a value worth some Taka 50 billion or $833 million to the country's GDP. Thus, if the epidemic breaks out among poultry birds here, culling of a very large number of birds will be required and that would invite ruin to this sector with huge adverse effects on the economy. Although culling and not vaccination of poultries is the usual practice against bird flu, the health authorities should also consider importing vaccines from Italy where it has been developed and tested to good effect. Most important of all, campaign should be mounted to make the entire population aware of the bird flu threat.