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Kurt Sansone
A flu pandemic, the likes of which could have deadly global consequences, is inevitable and the Health Department has formulated a national pandemic plan in the eventuality of an outbreak.
Medical experts say that a new highly infectious flu virus could emerge in Asia if bird flu mutates with human flu.
The influenza pandemic plan was approved by the Minister of Health earlier this year although no specific details have yet been announced.
“A committee has been set up to formulate detailed plans with respect to preparedness and response to a possible influenza pandemic,” a spokesperson for the Department of Health told MaltaToday.
It is understood that specific measures to combat a pandemic and minimise its impact will be made public later on this year.
The plan would have to include, among other things, the stockpiling of antiviral drugs. Currently, the Department of Health has a nine-month supply of the antiviral drug amantadine for normal consumption use.
Only this week the British Government announced it was to start stockpiling millions of doses of drugs to combat a flu pandemic.
The UK Influenza Pandemic Contingency Plan includes quarantine measures and specific arrangements for the emergency services. The Plan also states that mass events such as football matches could be banned and travel restricted in the event of an outbreak to stop the virus spreading.
Nobody can predict when a flu pandemic will strike, but experts have become increasingly worried during recent months over the threat of a pandemic. “It is not a question of ‘if’ a highly infectious flu virus will strike, but ‘when’,” a doctor told this newspaper.
Medical practitioners have their eyes trained on the incidence of bird flu in south east Asia. Last week, the World Health Organisation issued its strongest warning yet that bird flu has the potential of transforming into a pandemic.
The bird flu virus, which is proving to be resistant to treatments, is transmitted from birds to humans and has killed around 50 people in Asia since December. Reported incidents of bird flu being transmitted between humans have still to be confirmed but if they result positively, the world could very well be sitting on the verge of a pandemic flu outbreak.
A pandemic could have disastrous repercussions on everyday life disrupting economic and social activity as well as putting a strain on hospitals and other emergency services.
There were three flu pandemics during the 20 century. In 1918, the Spanish flu killed up to 50 million people world wide including some in Malta. The Asian flu and the Hong Kong flu struck in 1957 and 1968 respectively, each killing around one million people.
kurt@newsworksltd.com
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