By DANNY O. SAGUNPIA Dagupan Infocenter

THE PHILIPPINES, tiny Brunei and city-state Singapore remain the only countries in Asia unaffected by the dreaded Avian influenza, also known as bird flu, it was stressed in a seminar-workshop attended recently by government information officers.

Bird flu is a contagious disease of birds caused by the influenza A virus, ranging from mild to severe form. Some forms of infections can cause illness to humans.

The outbreaks affecting some 17 Asian countries have been caused by the H5N1 virus, which, it is feared, can also infect humans.

At least 167 persons have died of the disease out of 273 infected ones. Indonesia has, so far, registered the most number of deaths with 63 in 81 infections; Viet Nam, 42 deaths in 93 infections; Thailand, 17 in 25; China, 14 in 22, and Cambodia, six in same number of cases.

Medical experts fear that through simultaneous infections, the human and avian viruses could interact and mutate and could give birth to a totally new influenza virus that could be a vehicle for a global pandemic deadlier than the Spanish flu in 1918. That pandemic left 50 million people dead, more than the number killed by the war.

The Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) or H5N1 virus severely affects the poultry industry. It was reported that in China, several millions of poultry were mass slaughtered to contain and prevent the spread of the disease.
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The national avian influenza task force and its regional local counterparts are closely monitoring 20 identified priority areas or hot spots. In Luzon, tightly monitored are Pagudpod in Ilocos Norte and the Candaba swamp in Pampanga and Aparri in Cagayan. .
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Part of the preventive campaign to keep the country free from bird flu is the imposition of bans on the importation of live chickens and other poultry products as well as cage and pet wild birds from affected countries. Areas frequented by migratory birds are also watched more closely.

Chickens can be infected thru direct contact with infected birds especially thru their feces and respiratory secretions. Humans get sick of the disease thru inhalation or contamination with infected discharges or feces of sick chicken.

The seminar-workshop was organized by the Philippine Information Agency in cooperation with the United Nations Childrens Emergency Fund (Unicef). Similar fora were held earlier in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao for members of the media.