Agencies step up bird-flu efforts

Taipei City's department of health and economic development announced yesterday that the city has entered a critical period in the fight against avian flu. All residents should stay away from birds, and should especially not purchase or feed birds that can easily transmit the virus to humans, such as doves and parrots.

"A study from experts at National Taiwan University shows that birds such as chickens, doves, parrots and sparrows easily transmit the virus to humans, so people should not buy or feed these types of birds. The Markets Administration Office will set up warning signs in places like CKS Memorial Hall to inform the public," said Yen I-feng (嚴一峰), director of the Taipei Municipal Institute for Animal Health.

In an effort to enhance preventive measures against a possible bird-flu outbreak, the two departments yesterday called on people to avoid close contact with birds, and to not kill birds themselves or eat uncooked poultry.

If a person does come into contact with a bird, it is important to wash your hands immediately, officials said.

Since 2003, there have been more than 100 people infected with avian flu, and 63 people have died from the virus in Asia. With more cases being uncovered in Asian and European countries, including Turkey and Romania, health officials around the world have begun taking the issue more and more seriously.

The city's Department of Health warned in August that there is a serious risk of an avian-flu outbreak between January and March next year, and that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has forecast as many as 14,000 deaths in Taiwan in the event of an outbreak. According to that forecast, around 35,000 people would require hospitalization in Taipei alone if there were a bird-flu outbreak.

Kang Daw-chuen (康道春), the deputy commissioner of the economic department, said that the city set up a prevention program in January to monitor poultry farms, poultry markets and "bird street" on Heping W Road more frequently. As migratory birds season lasts from October to April each year, the department will put up warning signs in Guandu Nature Park (關渡自然公園) and Huajiang Waterfowl Nature Park (華江燕鴨自然公園) to inform people not to feed or touch wild birds.

"So far we haven't found the H5N1 virus yet, but to prevent it from mutating and becoming transmissible among humans, we will examine bird samples from once a month to once a week, and we will hold a second bird-flu prevention drill in November," Kang said.

The assistant director of the Center for Disease Control, Lin Pe-fen (林碧芬) called on people who visited Southeast Asian countries to inform their doctors about their trip if they have to go to a hospital or clinic. As part of the preventive measures, city hospitals have begun setting up areas to accept patients should an outbreak occur, Kang said.

All city hospitals and more than 30 clinics are now offering free flu shots to the elderly, children between six months and two years of age and workers in the poultry industry, so that if the bird-flu does take hold, doctors won't mistake the disease for regular flu. The department has also purchased 500 boxes of Tamiflu, an anti-influenza drug believed to be effective in treating avian flu. The drugs are being stored at Taipei Municipal Hoping Hospital.

The department has also set up a flu-outbreak prevention hotline (02) 2375-3782 for people who have questions about the flu or who want to report suspected cases of bird-flu.