Dipti Sherchan

Kathmandu,

People now give a second thought before eating chicken and even eggs. Everyone talks of Bird Flu. But what is it exactly? There aren’t many who know an answer to this. This is an influenza virus originally found in animals, which spreads to humans causing the disease. How does it spread? Officials at the World Health Organisation (WHO) attributed the spread of bird flu to human contact with droppings of the infected birds.

Dr Shubh Narayan Mahato, director general of the Department of Livestock Services, informs, “We are taking safety measures so that the virus does not spread into the country. HMG has already approved a national contingency plan for prevention and control of avian influenza in Nepal. Since the second week of January, the government has imposed a ban on the import of birds, unprocessed meat, eggs and other poultry products. Furthermore, we are coordinating with the National Life and Wildlife Conservation to check the spread of the disease from migratory birds. In the unlikely event of the disease entering the country through such migratory birds, we will immediately go to the location and confirm and control further spread.”

Dr Mahendra Bahadur Bista, director of Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, informs that there are preventive measures which can be considered.

He states, “Birds suspected to have contracted avian influenza should be quarantined and monitored and their transportation to other places should be halted. One should use protective gears while touching the infected birds or eggs. Otherwise, hands should be washed properly afterwards. Use organic protection methods in the chick farms and hatchery. Eat only well-cooked chicken and eggs. Create mass awareness through health education. Special attention should be given on personal hygiene and one should contact the concerned authorities immediately in case one suspects contracting the disease.”

Symptoms The reported symptoms of avian influenza in humans range from typical influenza-like symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat and muscle aches to eye infections, pneumonia, acute respiratory distress, viral pneumonia, and other severe and life-threatening complications.

Dr Mahato says, “The person suffering from bird flu dies early, as compared to the person who has SARS. Till date, there has been no proven record of human to human transmission of the bird flu.” But what should one do if one contracts bird flu?

Dr Bista says, “We have a Rapid Response Team in every district and they take immediate action if they find the virus. If one suspects of having contracted avian influenza, one should be kept in a room with good ventilation. The floor should be scrubbed and sterilised and the patient should wear a mask. Medical staff taking care of such patients should also wear protective gears and take all necessary measures. There is no specific treatment for the disease but if the virus is found in chickens then the chickens and their cages should be destroyed. Supportive treatment is available. However, the antiviral medications being used abroad are either unavailable or extremely expensive. They have serious side effects too.”

There are no vaccines available for protection against the disease. Initial analysis of the 2004 virus, conducted by laboratories in the WHO network, indicates that the virus has mutated significantly.Avian danger