Bird Flu Situation In Bangladesh Worrying

In Bangladesh the virus has yet to be located in any of the human population...

Very worrying news from Bangladesh is that the bird flu virus has now taken hold in eleven out of 64 national districts. The United Nations Food & Agriculture Organisation said that the H5N1 bird flu virus situation in the country was extremely serious and stressed the need for the health authorities to control it.

Bangladesh is a country that is notorious for poor government control and despite extensive efforts by the authorities they do not seem to be able to get the full control of the problem. The government of Bangladesh has an Avian Influenza & Human Pandemic Preparedness Plan as well as an Emergency Operational Plan but actions speak louder than words. The head of the Food & Agriculture Organisation noted that there was a possibility that the disease could become entrenched in the poultry livestock of the country. It was also stressed that international help was needed.

Despite the large numbers of birds being affected in Bangladesh the virus has yet to be located in any of the human population, however if the situation continues with large amounts of birds being infected the chances of people contracting the deadly virus are very likely.

Many people think that with a dose of Tamiflu they are completely safe however this bird flu drug is not the answer to all bird flu problems and the World Health Organisation stresses that the most important things to contain a bird flu pandemic are effective sanitary and quarantine controls.  Over half of all the people who have caught the bird flu disease have died from it. 

It is essential that all birds that are infected with the H5N1 bird flu virus are immediately culled and that the surrounding area is monitored for other outbreaks. Rigid controls and strong government action should be in the first line of defence.