EDITORIAL
Threat of avian flu demands vigilance
America remains, in the words of one infectious diseases expert, "woefully unprepared" for an influenza outbreak. And we in Hawai'i should be especially concerned.
Health officials testifying last week before Congress issued that assessment and asserted that the U.S. needs to stockpile antiviral medication as a matter of general public health policy. In particular, they're worried about avian flu, which has killed 53 of 97 people infected in Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia since December 2003.
And because Hawai'i is the U.S. port of entry for many Asian travelers, this state needs to stay especially vigilant lest "bird flu" develops into a virus that's easily transmitted and sparks the next pandemic. In short, our proximity and ties with Asia puts us on the front line in this flu transmission, and we must be ready.
The existing strain of flu from birds has infected relatively few people, but its unusually high mortality rate makes it a palpable threat. So far, the best preventive measure derived has been eradicating millions of poultry in the affected region. But through proximity with other viruses that affect humans, another variety of microbe could emerge, one that could be passed among people, and that we would have no immunity to.
The good news is that officials here are keeping the issue high on the radar. State Department of Health officials say they are working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control to devise a way to detect an infection threat at airport quarantine stations — most likely a set of reporting protocols that would quickly flag an arriving passenger who could be carrying the virus.
Wisely, the agency also is close to producing a draft preparedness plan, a blueprint for how government should respond in the event of an outbreak. Sometime this summer, that draft plan should begin circulating among various government agencies for refinement, delineating the chain of command and outlining procedures for everyone from law enforcement to healthcare providers.
On the national front, the Infectious Diseases Society of America and other groups are lobbying for stockpiling antiviral medicines such as oseltamivir, shown to prevent influenza infection and reduce both its symptoms and viral spread. The U.S. appears to be lagging, with at least 17 of our global neighbors already placing orders for medicines and a dozen more in negotiations. Congress must push the federal government to respond similarly, wasting no more time in this regard.
So far, at least 11 companies around the world are developing bird-flu vaccines. Paris-based Sanofi-Aventis already has started recruiting for clinical trials of its vaccine.
All of this activity is reassuring, but we must not be complacent. We must remain proactive. There's too much at stake.
