1 / 34

The Bird Flu Situation

The Bird Flu Situation. Facts about Bird Flu. What is Bird Flu?. A highly contagious poultry disease caused by a virus Can infect a variety of other birds Domestic poultry such as chickens and turkeys most susceptible. How do humans get infected?.

Download Presentation

The Bird Flu Situation

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. TheBird FluSituation

  2. Facts aboutBird Flu

  3. What is Bird Flu? • A highly contagious poultry diseasecaused by a virus • Can infect a variety of other birds • Domestic poultry such aschickens and turkeysmost susceptible

  4. How do humans get infected? • Through close contact with infected birdse.g. breathing in particles from their droppings • Rare for bird flu to infect humans • No evidence of human-to-human transmission to dateaccording to WHO

  5. What are the symptoms of bird flu in humans? • Fever, cough, muscle ache, runny nose, and sore throat • Some may get eye infectionsand have difficulty breathing • Pneumonia or othercomplications may occurat a later stage

  6. Can bird flu be cured? • Tamiflu, an anti-viral drug, appears to be effective in treating bird flu • Further testing being doneto confirm effectiveness

  7. Past cases of Bird Flu infecting humans Hong Kong (1997) • H5N1 virus infected both chickens and humans • First time an avian influenza virus found to transmit directly from birds to humans • 18 people hospitalised and 6 died • 1.5 million chickens killed • Virus spread primarily from birds to humans; rare person-to-person infection noted

  8. Past cases of Bird Flu infecting humans Netherlands (2003) • H7N7 virusinfections among poultry workers and their families in the Netherlands during an outbreak of avian flu among poultry • More than 80 cases of H7N7 illness reported and 1 patient died

  9. Bird Flu Outbreak 2004 • In birds: Outbreaks of H5N1 virus confirmed among poultry in Cambodia, China, Hong Kong (in a single peregrine falcon), Indonesia, Japan, Laos, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam (as at 4 Feb 2004) • In people: Cases of H5N1 infection in Vietnam and Thailand. Deaths have been reported.

  10. The Situation inSingapore

  11. Should I be alarmed? • Bird flu is NOT a significant public health threat to Singapore • There are few poultry farms in Singapore, and the slaughter of poultry is not carried out in wet markets

  12. What has been done? • Imports of live poultry and birds, poultry meat and eggs from bird flu-affected countries banned • Stepped-up inspection and testing of imported eggs and poultry at points of entry • Stepped-up checks onlocal poultry farmsand slaughterhouses

  13. What has been done? • Farms required to implement biosecurity measures e.g. bird-proofing poultry houses, disinfecting vehicles • Farm and slaughterhouse employees briefed on how to recognise signs of bird flu, and required to report unusual deathsor suspicion of the disease • Farms closed to visitors

  14. Are we prepared for an outbreak? • Within an hour of the first bird flu case being detected, AVA and related agencies will be mobilised to control the situation • All hospitals and doctors advised to be on alert • Suspected cases will be sent to Tan Tock Seng Hospital for assessment, and to Communicable Diseases Centre 2 for isolation if necessary

  15. Culling plans • Will start culling all birds in local farms as soon as clinical signs of bird flu appear with positive test results • All farms will be “sealed up” during culling • Eggs produced will be destroyed • Ex-gratia payment will be made to owners of the farms for the poultry culled • Measures necessary to eradicate disease, safeguard public health and maintain public confidence

  16. Eatingchickensand other poultry

  17. Is it safe to eat chickens, eggs, and other poultry products? • The poultry and eggs available in the market are safe to eat • No evidence that you can get bird flu by eating chicken, eggs and other poultry

  18. What about cannedpoultry products? • Canned poultry products such as essence of chicken are also safe to eat • All canned productsundergo a heat treatmentprocess that effectivelydestroys any viruses

  19. Food Supply • With more countries affected by bird flu, prices may go up temporarily • Shortfall could be met by: • Alternative sources • Buffer stocks of frozen poultry meat • Liquid and powdered eggs

  20. Tips for cooking poultry • Separate raw food from cooked food • Wash your hands before and after preparing food • Cook poultry meat thoroughly • Avoid eating raw orhalf-boiled eggs orsemi-cooked meat

  21. Live Birdsin Singapore

  22. Can other birds spread the disease? • Crows, mynahs and pigeons in Singapore are not knownto carry bird flu. • Migratory birds can becarriers. • AVA, NParks and NEA conduct regular checks on birds in Singapore. • So far, no flu viruseshave been detected

  23. Is it safe to visit the Jurong Bird Park and the Zoo? • Singapore is free from bird flu • It is safe to go to places where birds can be founde.g. Sungei Buloh,Jurong Bird Park or the Zoo

  24. Is it safe to keep birds or poultry as pets? • All imported live birds monitored by AVA for infectious diseases • Risk of pet birds getting infected low • Precaution: Keep birds inenclosure so that they do notcome into contact with wild birds • Wash your hands thoroughlywith soap after handling your pets

  25. What are the signs of infection? • Sudden death • Lack of energy and appetite • Swelling of head, eyelids,comb, wattles and legs • Purple discolouration of thewattles and combs • Nasal discharge • Coughing and sneezing • Diarrhoea

  26. Who can help if I decided to give up my pet birds or chickens? • AVA’s Centre for Animal Welfare and Control can help put down your pets humanely • Hotline Number: 1800-476 1600

  27. Travelling Overseas

  28. Is it safe to visit countries with cases of bird flu? • WHO has not advised any travel restrictions so far • No quarantined when you return • When visiting affected countries, avoid farms and live poultry and birds, and adopt good hygiene practices

  29. Should I get vaccinated against influenza before I travel? • MOH recommendation: • Children aged 6 months and older shouldbe vaccinated if travelling to temperate countries in the Northern Hemisphere • Persons likely to beexposed to infectedchickens or farmsshould alsobe vaccinated

  30. Should I get vaccinated against influenza before I travel? • Purpose of vaccination is to avoid risk of people being infected bybird and humanvirus at thesame time

  31. What should I do if I suspect I have bird flu? • Consult your doctor immediately if you have had contact with live birds or travelled to a country which has cases of bird flu • Or call 993 for a special ambulance to take you to the Communicable Disease Centre for evaluation

  32. Sources of information • Internet websites • www.birdflu.gov.sg • www.epic.gov.sg • www.ava.gov.sg • www.moh.gov.sg

  33. Sources of information • AVA Hotline:1800-226 2250 • MOH Hotline:1800-333-9999

  34. ThankYou

More Related