Outbreak of bird flu

THE latest outbreak of avian flu in fifteen countries, as the FAO notes, is deeply worrying. The worry takes on added dimensions considering that Bangladesh is among these countries and has, in the past week, been struggling to contain the spread of the disease. With 4,700 poultry birds culled in Dinajpur, 3,000 in Patuakhali and 4,000 in Barguna, the picture is rather disquieting. And now comes news that crows in large numbers have met with sudden, inexplicable death in Dinajpur and Patuakhali.
At this point, no fewer than 26 of the country's 64 districts have been more or less affected by the malaise, with large scale culling of poultry going on in them. That only confirms the FAO finding that the avian influenza outbreak in the countries it mentions demonstrates that the H5N1 strain of the virus remains potent and therefore a global threat. For Bangladesh, the very urgent need now is to roll back the crisis as early as possible. Before that, however, it will be more important to contain the situation and prevent it from taking over other, so far unaffected areas of the country. Since any outbreak of bird flu, especially in communities that are poor and have little access to education and sanitation, is a hazard to public health, all efforts must now be geared to enhancing the awareness of the people about the do's and don'ts to combat the situation. People, particularly in the rural interior, for that is where families traditionally have had domesticated poultry for ages, must be provided with know-how on an emergency basis on what they must do should avian flu affect their stocks of poultry. Overall, it is a matter of saving the poultry industry. But such a step must also make sure that a sense of panic does not come into dealing with the problem. The experience gained during the last outbreak of bird flu should be put to good use. In this context, the print as well as electronic media must be utilised to focus on the issue and so help people handle the situation in their backyards.
Finally, it will be important to bear in mind the best practices followed by the global community in dealing with present and earlier instances of bird flu. The FAO's experience is noteworthy here. Such experience needs to be utilised to the full.