Several government departments are monitoring the global situation regarding avian influenza and are prepared to take any necessary measures to prevent an outbreak in Cayman.
In a statement to the Legislative Assembly Monday, Anthony Eden, Minister for Health and Human Services, explained the government’s view of a possible pandemic.
‘The United Kingdom, along with many other countries, is taking the global risk for an avian flu pandemic very seriously.
‘This virus has already transcended geographic borders and as with any communicable disease, the government must ensure preventive steps are taken to protect our country from the economic, commercial and social impacts of the disease.
‘We nevertheless can all be assured that there is no immediate threat of any possible outbreak of avian flu in the Cayman Islands,’ Mr. Eden said.
The Communicable Disease Surveillance Committee is meeting today to assess the situation, the minister explained.
The committee comprises the Mosquito Research and Control Unit, the departments of Environmental Health, Agriculture and Public Health, and the Health Services Authority Laboratory.
Alfred Benjamin, Chief Agriculture Officer, explained the Department of Agriculture is keeping close tabs on the disease.
‘We are very closely monitoring the situation as it develops. We are in constant contact with our US Department of Agriculture counterparts,’ he said.
Mr. Benjamin added that there restrictions on importing birds.
‘The Department of Agriculture has conditions in place that prevent the importation of any live birds from areas where there have been outbreaks of avian influenza,’ he said.
Colin Wakelin, veterinary officer at the agriculture department, elaborated on the restrictions.
‘There is no importation from countries where information on any disease is unknown or unverified.
‘Currently no poultry is imported other than day-old chicks, which are at extremely low risk for possible exposure. If people want to bring in poultry they will be subject to import restrictions,’ he said.
Dr. Kiran Kumar, Medical Officer of Health, explained that for now only people in close contact with infected birds are getting bird flu.
‘There is no evidence that people are getting infected through other people. But, the virus is getting more virulent and spreading to other countries so the public health concern is that it might mutate and be passed on from person to person.
‘There is a possibility of a pandemic because a new type of virus might develop,’ Mr. Kumar said.
Therefore, bird populations need to be monitored, he added.
‘Even if there are no human cases, public health officials want to eliminate the virus from bird populations. As long as it exists in birds, there is the possibility of human infection,’ he said.
Cayman’s size works in its favour, though, Mr. Kumar explained.
‘Because we are such a small island, the chance of migratory birds bringing in bird flu and infecting the local birds is small. Where there are large poultry farms, the risks are higher,’ he said.
Mr. Kumar stressed the importance of remaining vigilant, however.
‘My personal feeling is that there are no geographic boundaries for communicable diseases so anything is possible. But the chances are remote of an infected bird landing in Cayman and infecting the local bird population.
‘Public Health will be working closely with the Agriculture Department to take any steps necessary to identify such occurrences and curtail its spread,’ he said.
Mr. Wakelin explained a programme is being set up to keep track of the birds.
‘We will be monitoring the wild chicken population in Cayman as well as the migratory bird population,’ he added.
The first documented case of bird flu being transmitted from poultry to humans was in Hong Kong in 1997, when 18 people were hospitalised with the virus and six died.
Most cases of this infection in people are believed to have been caused by contact with infected poultry or contaminated surfaces.
To stop the disease spreading and to eliminate the virus at its source, the Hong Kong government arranged for about 1.5 million chickens to be killed.
If that situation arose here, Mr. Benjamin explained that similar steps would be taken.
‘If a disease of that nature occurs, the standard procedure is to depopulate and disinfect the species in which it occurs,’ he said.
Symptoms of avian influenza in humans can resemble a typical flu, with fever, a cough, sore throat and muscle aches. Other symptoms can include eye infections, acute respiratory distress and pneumonia.
No vaccines are available to treat avian flu in humans. A minimum of six months is needed to develop a vaccine after the onset of a new virus, Mr. Kumar explained, but he added that research is ongoing based on the avian flu found in birds.
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