Health Ministry on guard against avian flu

by Bharatha Malawaraarachchi

All measures are in place to face any possible outbreak of avian influenza known as bird flu, the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry yesterday announced yesterday.

The Ministry's response came amid reports that this disease has affected several countries in the Asian region.

"The reports indicate that this disease has reached some Asian countries and we cannot just ignore it," a Ministry spokesman told the Daily News.

He said the Ministry's epidemiology unit has been monitoring the situation and taking necessary action. He assured that the Health authorities had taken every possible step to prevent the disease entering the country. Accordingly, the import of chicken and exotic birds from countries where this disease was reported has been suspended.

Besides, the Ministry has also focused serious attention to the migratory birds which is an another way of transmitting this disease.

"Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva has given instructions to officials to take steps to prevent the first case being reported from Sri Lanka and maintain precautionary measures," he added.

Accordingly, the Ministry has decided to launch a special medial research programme at every sanctuary targeting the migratory birds who can transmit this disease.

"Since this is the period in which most migratory birds are arriving in Sri Lanka, we are paying special attention," the spokesman added.

Also, the Ministry will focus on tourists arriving from affected countries. Meanwhile, a Jakarta datelined AFP report said the international scientific community fears that if the

deadly H5N1 strain of the virus manages to mutate into a form that is easily transmissible between humans, then a worst case scenario could see tens of millions of people die. The report added that the current bird flu outbreak, which first surfaced in 2003, has now reached Europe with Rumania and Turkey confirming last week their first cases of the virus in poultry.