Asian nations warned to stay vigilant over flu

Asian nations warned to stay vigilant over flu
Posted: 07 May 2009 1853 hrs

BANGKOK: The World Health Organization Thursday urged Asian nations to remain vigilant against influenza A (H1N1), admitting that it had yet to get a handle on the outbreak despite the relatively low death toll.

The warning came as officials from China, Japan, South Korea and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) met in Bangkok to forge a common front in the fight against the virus.

Hundreds of Thai soldiers surrounded the venue for the meeting at a downtown Bangkok hotel to prevent a repeat of anti-government protests that wrecked a regional summit in Thailand in April.

WHO Acting Director-General Keiji Fukuda said the virus was milder than that which caused the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic but warned that it could yet follow a similar pattern and become more virulent later in the year.

"It is critical for countries to maintain their alertness and monitoring so this evolution can be followed as closely as possible," Fukuda told the Asian officials via videolink from Geneva.

"We don't believe we have fully got a handle on the severity of the phenomenon," he said, adding that Asian nations "should look very closely at their preparedness plans".

Asia has been relatively unscathed by the virus. WHO figures on Wednesday said 1,893 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infections have been reported by 23 countries, with 31 dying from the disease.

Officials from the 13 Asian nations meeting at Bangkok later updated their counterparts on the measures they have adopted to counter the virus. Health ministers from the region will meet on Friday.

Asian nations, already experienced with dealing with deadly SARS and bird flu, have introduced a range of measures from thermoscanners at airports to widespread surveillance steps.

South Korea on Thursday confirmed its third case of influenza A(H1N1) while China started lifting a seven-day quarantine on passengers who had shared a flight from Mexico with a man who later tested positive for the flu.

Fukuda said, however, that vigilance was necessary.

"Complacency is the greatest danger," he said. "It does appear to be a period where the virus may be seeding itself in various parts of the world."

He added: "What we are seeing now is milder than in 1918 (when up to 50 million people died). But the 1918 started mild in springtime and became more severe in winter."

Developing nations in the southern hemisphere, where it is currently the flu season, could be particularly at risk if the virus spreads there, he said, especially in Africa.

Anne Schuchat, deputy director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told the conference there was "encouraging news" about the severity of the A(H1N1) virus, with only two deaths in the United States so far.

But she said it was possible that "many more losses will occur".

The meeting was the first of ASEAN and its regional partners since protesters stormed a summit in the Thai beach resort of Pattaya in April, forcing some foreign leaders to evacuate by helicopter.

Thai security forces blocked roads around the hotel and troops brandishing riot shields and batons stood guard on Thursday, although there was no sign of any demonstrations.

- AFP/ir

- wong chee tat :)