A Way To Fight Bird Flu?
Emily Tai & Eric Koo Peng Kuan | Singapore | December 26

The Agonist - In a modern age where farming and animal husbandry is directed by technological advances and scientific knowledge, viruses, diseases and plague arising from poultry still remain of concern and are issues of concern to the rest of the consumer world. In early December 2005, it was reported that Thailand had experienced its second bird flu case within two months, China its fifth, and two new outbreaks from Vietnam.¹ U.S. health authorities have also approved an initiative to market the antiviral drug Tamiflu for preventing influenza in children ages 1 through 12.²

By now, most people probably know more about Bird Flu as more information is gathered are readily available on this deadly Avian Influenza. Bird Flu is contagious and is spread by the H5N1 virus which can be found in the faeces of poultries such as chickens, ducks and turkeys. When an outbreak occurs in a farm, thousands of livestocks had to be sacrificed regardless of whether the whole batch is infected in order to protect the citizens from getting bird flu. The poultry farmers suffered a significant financial loss and great pain to see the way their nurtured chicks has to be put to sleep instead of been served on our dinner tables. Besides, they are unable to continue rearing these live stocks for a long while until things cleared up. No one can ever feel the way they felt as their livelihood depends solely on these kampong fouls.

In mid 2003, an outbreak of bird flu occurred in the east coast of Malaysia. To curb the spread, health officials staff had to be all gowned and masked up before the start of this tedious fowl -catching game. Television viewers watch in amusements how the lively birds were chased and rounded up before being caught. Some even had to climb trees late at night to nap the fowl when they were roosting on the branches of trees. The fiercely kicking and squawking fowls were then thrown into huge bags and tied up while TV viewers watched in disgust and sadness. Within minutes, movements in the bag stops and silence fell, indicating all fouls are suffocated due to oxygen deprivation. The bags were buried in a deliberately designated `waste land' in the rural areas. As a consequence of the Malaysian government's prudent measures, less than 100 people died because of the viral outbreak.

Meanwhile the Singaporean government was quick to step in and implemented several measures to control any spread to or within Singapore. Health officials travelled to places as far as Pulau Ubin to buy the fowls from these residents who reared them on a small scale or for personal consumption. This is the only sure way that the residents would give up their chickens, ducks and turkeys.

Imports of chicken and duck were banned from neighbouring countries for several months, thus affecting those in the food industry. Some chicken rice stalls closed shop temporarily for a few months whilst others changed their menus. No chickens were available for our meals for several months until September 2003.

Restaurants and foodstalls were quick to snap up the eggs as they anticipated a rise in price would be inevitable. Chicken eggs prices soared so high that it was really unbelievable. The price of a packet of 10 eggs rose from S$2 to S$7 within days of the announcement of the temporary ban on eggs. Hawkers who required eggs in the menus either jacked up their prices or went for a break.  Prices of eggs gradually fell as arrangements were made to import eggs from Australia. As stocks were limited, supermarkets stepped in to fix price control on eggs. Each customer was allowed only 5 eggs for slightly over S$2. Within the 1st hour of supermarket operation each day, the eggs were all sold! Quail eggs disappeared just as fast they are stocked up with only a slight increase in price.

In an effort to find alternatives to a diet of chicken meat, other types of food were sought. Fishmongers and pork sellers profited. Some Singaporeans became vegetarians. Eventually, the ban on poultry imports was lifted.  However, the price of chicken/duck shot up to $10 and $20 respectively. It took a few months for food prices to stabilise as stocks increases.

Scientists warned of pandemic bird flu outbreak sometime back and again this year 2005. This was followed by outbreaks occurring in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Japan and Indonesia. Right now many regions in Indonesia are affected. It was hard to control the spread of the viral infections in these countries as people living in rural areas will find it difficult to follow the measures that are implemented for various reasons.

Luckily with stringent measures in place, this bird flu outbreak did not hit Singapore. We still get our poultries and eggs without any price increase. However, people flooded the clinics for the bird flu jabs as during the school holidays and many have booked for holidays overseas. The stocks of bird flu vaccine were depleted and many had to wait for new vaccine stocks to arrive. However, this vaccine only protects the ingested person from human influenza not bird flu. And moreover, travellers are not at high risk of being exposed to this virus.

Tamiflu manufactured this year is said to be the treatment for bird flu. It was supposed to reduce the symptoms and the risk of a carrier passing on the virus. Many countries are stock piling it in preparation for the world pandemic outbreak. As supplies will not be adequate for the population of each country, some entrepreneurs are selling them on the Internet in order to capitalise on the market. Tamiflu needs a prescription and this service can also be provided by the salespeople on the Internet.

The Singaporean government was quick to step in to advise people not to buy them as Tamiflu has to be taken at the right time. Otherwise it will lead to increased resistance of the bird flu viruses to the drug, as the viruses acquire early immunity.

In the meantime, people are advised to take the following preventive measures:

1. Ensure any chicken is well cooked (with no pink parts). H5N1 virus is sensitive to heat and will be killed in normal cooking heat of 70°C.
   
2. Wash hands with soap frequently and especially after in contact with poultries, touching doorknobs or refrigerator door handles as bacteria are present.
   
3. Avoid visits to poultry farms or close contact with live poultry. In other countries, the farmers are advised not to sleep or rest in the same place as the fowls.
   
4. Maintain good personal hygiene.
   
5. Boost your immune system. Eat a balanced diet, exercises regularly & reduce stress. Avoid /reduce smoking.

Scientists are now worried that bird flu will also affect human beings and thus the race to look for alternative medicine is underway. Bird flu can and will be contained with proper application of knowledge, measures and practises at the individual level.

The strategy in preventing bird flu is "Prevention is always better than cure." The knowledge to do so is readily available and only requires people to read more on the subject itself.

The only question is whether people can find the time and inclination to do so.

--------

1. "Bird flu kills Thai boy, new cases reported in Asia." TODAY 10-11 Dec 2005

"Two new cases of Tamiflu-resistant H5N1 virus: study" AFP 21/12/05

2. "Roche says US OKs Tamiflu for prevention in young" Yahoo News 21/12/05

Emily Tai was a trained nurse with 20 years experience in nursing, midwifery & intensive care nursing. She is an author of a healthylifestyle cookbook available for sale at bookshops & www.freewebs.com/healthylifestylecookbook.  Eric Koo Peng Kuan currently writes commentaries and analysis articles on international affairs, security issues and terrorism for newspapers. He also contributed to this article and he can be reached at erickoopk@yahoo.com. The views expressed here are their own.