Korea alert on possible bird flu pandemic

Poultry vaccination will not be an option for Korea, despite the World Health Organization`s latest warnings of an imminent bird flu pandemic, a government official said yesterday.

The WHO last Thursday warned that the highly-pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza in poultry and other fowl in several Asian countries poses the greatest threat of sparking a human influenza pandemic.

It urged global preparations against possibly a new human influenza virus that could cause widespread death, illness, and social and economic havoc.

Last week, the WHO projected anywhere from 2 million to 7.4 million deaths were likely in the event of an outbreak, revising an earlier figure of up to 150 million cited by Dr. David Nabarro, the United Nations Coordinator for global readiness.

Although Korea`s experience with the bird flu outbreak, which occurred between December 2003 and March 2004, is tame compared to countries like Thailand and Vietnam, the government has recently stepped up efforts to curb avian flu.

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But animal inoculation is not an answer and would do more harm than good, said Kim Joon-kul, an official at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry`s Animal Health Division.

"The moment we stick a needle into poultry means we`ve given up on the bird flu," said Kim. "Inoculation can make things more complicated and prevention more difficult."

He stressed countries like Vietnam and China have done mass poultry vaccinations because their problem is more widespread.

Opponents of fowl vaccination claim that people will stop consuming chickens over fear of unknown side effects. Proponents, such as the WHO, believe that it is not harmful to consume treated chickens as long as they are cooked properly. According to the U.N. health body`s food safety guidelines, chicken meat is safe to eat if cooked to a minimum temperature of 70 degrees Centigrade for 30 minutes.

Outbreaks of avian flu struck eight countries in Asia: Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Lao, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. They occurred between late 2003 and early 2004, during which more than 100 million birds either died from the disease or were culled.

So far no case of human-to-human infection has been determined. This is why the WHO fears the possible eruption of a new human influenza pandemic.

From Dec. 30, 2003 to March 17, 2004, 12 confirmed human cases of avian influenza were reported in Thailand and 23 in Vietnam, resulting in a total of 23 deaths.

As of Aug. 5 this year, there have been 112 human cases of avian influenza in Vietnam (90), Thailand (17), Cambodia (4) and Indonesia (1). This resulted in 57 deaths reported since January 2004.

When Korea was hit, 19 poultry farms in 10 regions reported cases of bird flu, prompting the government to cull 5.3 million birds.

The government believes vigilance and close surveillance is the best countermeasure.

In addition to its usual practice of close inspection of birds and adoption of stringent quarantine measures, the Agriculture Ministry decided to issue a bird flu alert in mid-October to prepare for the arrival of migratory birds here in winter.

"Bird flu that occurs regularly in places like Russia and Mongolia can be transmitted through migratory birds from that region," said Kim, the ministry official.

Avian sanctuaries used by migratory birds and areas near the demilitarized zones will be closely monitored for early detection to prevent any outbreak.

Experts also agree that no other countermeasures can be more effective.

Park Ki-dong, director of Communicable Disease Control Division at the Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said national surveillance is foremost. He added that cooperation with global networks, such as the WHO, is also important.

As human vaccination for avian influenza is not yet available, the expert stressed the need for continual research.

"The bird flu epidemic is serious and possibilities of it transforming into a human influenza as a pandemic is higher than most people think. We don`t know when it could take place," said Park. "The best thing that can be done is close monitoring and prevention of human-to-human infection, if not preparation."

(sohjung@heraldm.com)





By Yoo Soh-jung