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| Southeast Asia |
| Vietnam asks for international help to tackle bird flu |
| 2005-02-03 |
| HANOI : Vietnam said Thursday it is seeking international help to battle a worsening bird flu epidemic and to prepare a long-term plan to tackle the killer disease. Agriculture Minister Cao Duc Phat sent a letter late Wednesday to the World Health Organisation and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation asking for the assistance. The avian influenza was "spreading very quickly in the country", the minister said in the letter obtained by AFP. The government requested the "WHO and FAO's kind assistance in sending the qualified experts to Vietnam to collaborate with local (authorities) to study the outbreak and set up" a plan for its control. The virus has claimed 13 lives in Vietnam since December 30 and 33 since the end of 2003. Twelve people have also died in Thailand from bird flu, which has swept parts of Asia since December 2003. Bird flu has now spread to 33 of Vietnam's 64 cities and provinces, including northern Ha Giang province bordering China. Experts have long warned further outbreaks of the disease were inevitable in the country as long as humans live cheek by jowl with I lived through SARS and there seems to be more to this than the numbers indicate. |
| Posted by:phil_b |
| #13 Another point: by destroying its poultry flocks to prevent the spread of the disease, Vietnam will be taking a real economic hit. This is one situation where (what is to us a modest amount of) economic aid would be the best possible positive reinforcement for responsible behavior. |
| Posted by: rkb 2005-02-03 4:10:20 PM |
| #12 We all should be applauding Vietnam for admitting there's a potentially serious problem here and getting help right away -- a more honest and upfront response than that of China, for instance. Pigs are closer to humans biologically, but we eat a LOT of poultry raised in crowded conditions. Having this jump to humans, as it apparently has begun to do, is a serious health threat. And db is right - we've got two generations of people (at a minimum) here who haven't had to develop strong immune response to the nastier strains of flu. Remember - antibiotics don't help. Don't know if something lik the retro drugs for AIDS might, but it would probably take time to engineer them. |
| Posted by: rkb 2005-02-03 4:03:01 PM |
| #11 IIUC, pigs are considered the most likely path to humans, but the disease is still the same. This particular type of virus is considered to be a high risk. Maybe it's a result of reading "Earth Abides" when I was very young, "The White Plague" when I was not much older, and seeing "Twelve Monkeys". Maybe my concerns are overblown. I consider this to be a risk on par with asteroids and comets, if not higher. A significant part of my supporting OIF was opposition to the work of Dr. Taha. Until such time as we have established isolated (non-terrestrial) populations, this will continue to be a risk. |
| Posted by: Dishman 2005-02-03 3:59:12 PM |
| #10 Hey, you still put it better than I did. Too much Sauza too early in the day..... ;) |
| Posted by: Desert Blondie 2005-02-03 2:58:56 PM |
| #9 IIRC - the pig to human is easier to do than avian to human...that's all I was trying to convey. Closer species-wise.... |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-02-03 2:45:16 PM |
| #8 Frank G - I might be wrong on this, but I thought the flu can cross species barriers from anywhere on the human-pig-bird (usually duck) transmission pathways. As in, human to bird to pig, or anywhere on those connections. I'm not putting it very elegantly, so I hope I'm communicating it ok. |
| Posted by: Desert Blondie 2005-02-03 2:32:41 PM |
| #7 pandemic yes, but more likely from pigs |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-02-03 1:11:16 PM |
| #6 I'm with DB. IIUC this is one of the most likely sources of a pandemic. It's unlikely that anything bad will come of it, but the potential cost is in the range of Spanish Flu. |
| Posted by: Dishman 2005-02-03 1:08:41 PM |
| #5 Ok, yes, the Vietnamese government sucks. No argument on that. But if you think that this disease couldn't possibly get over here, you're dead wrong. We're overdue for a big, ugly flu epidemic. I'd rather they get some help to deal with this (and in the process, learn about it and if it could mutate into something hideous we don't want to think about). Put aside the ideology for a moment, guys. |
| Posted by: Desert Blondie 2005-02-03 12:58:37 PM |
| #4 The World Health Organization (WHO) is probably the least sucky and most competent part of the UN. I know, faint praise indeed. Still, they managed to eradicate smallpox and had nearly done the same with polio up until muslim ninnies in Africa decided healthy children were an Evil Crusader Plot(tm). There is no denying WHO is a large bureaucratic organization and part of the UN, to boot. But unlike their dung beetle diplomatic comrades, WHO has actually done some good in the world. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2005-02-03 10:58:30 AM |
| #3 Glad to hear the UN is on the case. No need for us to overshadow them. |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2005-02-03 10:11:10 AM |
| #2 You help us with POWs/MIAs, we help you with the flu. Otherwise FOAD |
| Posted by: badanov 2005-02-03 9:58:11 AM |
| #1 Sounds like a job for their (the communists) HERO - John Kerry.... |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2005-02-03 9:46:25 AM |