Virus menace

The detection of bird flu in the Kathmandu Valley, so close to a large human population centre, is a cause for a serious concern but the government response to the outbreak so far is inadequate.

Poultry farmer Chandra Bahadur Tamang had first complained on November 10 after 90 chickens in his farm died during the previous two days. But the government authorities only acted on November 29.

The first test carried out in Nepal had confirmed the presence of the H5N1 virus, but then it was sent to the Veterinary Laboratory Agency in the United Kingdom for reconfirmation. Being certain of the results is the right thing to do, but so is maintaining adequate surveillance in the area to check the spread of the virus during the period.

The confirmation from the lab test in the UK had arrived late last Friday, but government officials responsible for providing critical services, failed to act on the same day, and the day after, citing public holidays.

Even after the health officials decided to intervene last Sunday, the Rapid Response Team (RRT) of the Health Ministry didn't follow the procedure properly. They culled suspected birds, but failed to maintain an effective quarantine of the area, which will have to last for 42 days. The culling process itself shows negligence. RRT members donned in protective suits culled the fowls and disinfected areas last Tuesday, while locals with no protection were allowed to wonder in and around the site. The locals weren't instructed about basic precautionary measures.

This ignores the fact that during an outbreak of avian influenza, there is a risk of infection for people who have contact with infected birds or surfaces that have been contaminated with secretions or excretions from infected birds.

To add to the problem, the site of the outbreak also has pig farms. This heightens the risk of creating an entirely new virus. The 2009 flu outbreak (H1N1, also known as swine flu) was caused by the triple assortment of the bird, swine and human flu viruses, according to the World Health Organisation.

What makes the matter grave is that the locals in the area have begun complaining about symptoms similar to that of bird flu, yet officials continue to be dismissive. These symptoms may very well be normal flu symptoms, but government doctors have only offered cursory observation and the implementation of the quarantine has been lax, at best.

One systemic flaw is apparent in the government's response. Why isn't health service part of the emergency service kept in a state of readiness 24/7? Such critical responsibility for containing an outbreak of potential pandemic proportions must have an automatic trigger. The time lag between the time of the detection and the time of intervention signals a dangerous apathy towards public health.

An outbreak so close to a major population centre and the country's only international airport cannot be taken lightly. If the virus mutates among humans, it can quickly get transmitted among a large population - crossing the border with travellers in no time. That could lead to flight cancellations and the whole country being quarantined, a possibility that shows the risk of neglecting a manageable situation that can spiral into a massive health and economic crisis