Who’s afraid of Asian flu?

After listening to experts talk about the non-threat of Asian flu, I’ve started to eat chicken again. For a few weeks, I forbade the household help from buying dressed chicken in the public markets. Nor did I purchase chicken in the supermarkets, produced as they were, by respectable poultry raisers. So what we had for meals were beef and fish and vegetables.

Two weeks ago speakers at the Tuesday Bulong Pulungan sa Westin Philippine Plaza demolished us media people’s perception of chicken being harmful to our health. The media had been printing and announcing stories of 150 million chickens having been killed deliberately in some countries to avoid being contaminated by infected fowl, in effect leading people to believe that a pandemic was on hand.

Three of the country’s experts on Avian flu, or bird flu, found time for our forum to allay our fears. They were Dr. David Catbagan of the Bureau of Animal Industry, Department of Agriculture; Dr. Luningning Villa, Department of Health spokesperson for Avian influenza and meningococcal infections, and Dr. Jean Marc Olive, Philippine Representative for the World Health Organization. An environmentalist joined them – Mike Lu of the Wild Bird Club.

Dr. Catbagan explained that bird flu in poultry is a viral infection that can be mild to serious, and when caused by a highly pathogenic virus, can wipe out a whole poultry in three to five days. One can spot signs of infection in the fowl – feathers are ruffled, swelling and discoloration of the face and joints. Since bird flu is a respiratory disease, it is transmitted to other chickens quickly.

The virus is carried by migratory birds flying in the hundreds of thousands from northern and other countries in Asia during winter time to countries where the climate is warm. The virus has been carried by these birds all the while, but it has not caused infections of the volume being seen now.

The virus is not airborne, such as that causing SARS, but through direct contact. An infected bird transmit the virus to other chickens.

In the Philippines, the swamps of Candaba in Pampanga have been the roosting home for such migratory birds. Fortunately, no infection has been spread by these birds. Dr. Catbagan and his co-experts made this point again and again.

But Dr. Catbagan said that precautions are being observed, and poultry raisers are given instructions on preventing viral infections. Fifty to 70 percent of the chicken industry are native chickens, he said, and farmers are warned not to let ducks and chickens go roaming around as freely as they were allowed – until February or March, when the migratory birds shall have flown back to their original sites.

Dr. Villa said since no bird flu has been detected in the Philippines, "We don’t expect humans to be infected with the virus." But the Department is playing it safe, by preventing the possible viral transmission from fowl to humans. Actually, she said, if there should be any transmission at all, it would be to people directly handling animals in the farms, not city folk. At the time of the forum, only 124 cases of bird flu had been found, and 64 had died in such countries as Vietnam, Cambodia, India and Thailand. If the transmission were made to humans, then there would be a "pandemic," but Dr. Villa gave the assurance that no infection in humans has been detected in the Philippines.

Dr. Olive said avian virus exists, as human virus exists. A pandemic starts with a new virus which can cause infection in humans. "We’re trying to avoid this. We try to control the disease in animals."

The trouble is that some farmers who do not want people to know of an infection in their poultries may hide their sick chickens, said Dr. Olive.

In some countries, Catbagan said, when there is detection of an infection, the military is called to help destroy the chickens.

Dr. Catbagan said that should there be a suspicion of infection, a blood specimen of the bird is taken to the laboratory which quickly determines the presence of the bird flu virus. As Dr. Olive said, "We have to prepare (for the eventuality of viral infection) Because once the infection hits, it will hit hard." And, Villa added, "If we’re able to prepare for a pandemic, we will be able to prepare for anything."

So there is no need to fear eating chicken, said Dr. Villa. Since no Avian flu has been detected in chickens in the country, it is safe to eat them. Besides, no transmission of the disease is possible. Also, the flu virus is easily killed by heating.

It is not possible for the infection to be transmitted to humans, but persons handling the killing and burying of infected birds must not touch them with bare hands.

Mike Lu said he had just returned from a bird exhibition from Taiwan, and no word about the virus was heard there. An exhibition in Manila was scheduled to be held last week. But, Mike added, the campaign against infection should include banning hunting of wild birds, and preventing the smuggling of birds into the local markets.

Dr. Villa said that government agencies, including Customs, have been instructed to refuse the entry of dressed chickens into the Philippines. We just hope that this is followed strictly, our national experience being that we are a dumping ground for agricultural products banned in foreign countries.

So, who’s afraid of the Avian flu in the Philippines?

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The Philippine Media Factbook: 2005, is off the press, with new, interesting data and additions. It is a vital resource book for media practitioners, masscom students, academicians, campaign planners, people who want to run for public office, and the public. It contains comprehensive fact sheets on the media industry, such as radio and TV stations, cable networks, print and cinema establishments, operating throughout the country from Region I to XII and CARAGA.

The factbook comes out during the term of Secretary Renato S. Velasco, director general of the Philippine Information Agency. My good friend BettyLou S. Penera, PIA planning and communication division director, edited, with help from her staff, who put in time and effort to produce the project.

An additional feature is a media mapping which shows radio and TV ownership, household exposure level by medium according to region; a print circulation profile based on the 2003 Functional Literacy Mass Media Survey conducted nationwide by the National Statistics Office and Department of Education.

The source book reveals that television is also a major source of knowledge and information for 61.8 percent of ages 10 to 65 nationwide respondents. Television outranked radio as the most accessible form of media channel, specially for quick and timely news.

More than a collation of statistics and names, the publication contains historical tidbits and informative data such as names of Philippine ambassadors to foreign countries, their addresses and contact numbers.

I’m sure you’ll find this factbook very useful as I do. For more information, or copies (P800) call BettyLou or Juliet at 9204346, and email, blpenera@yahoo. com.

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