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| Sunday,13 November 2005 |
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Resources inadequate to combat Avian flu by Jayantha Sri Nissanka Sri Lanka does not have adequate resources to combat Avian Influenza pandemic in case it breaksout, Animal Production Director General Dr. S. K. R. Amarasekara warned. Addressing senior health and veterinary officials at a workshop organised by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) at the Galadari Hotel in Colombo last Friday he expressed fear that the chances of eradicating this virus is at a very minimal level unless international support is obtained. He said "We do not have good laboratory facilities and latest equipment. The Department is only having a few test kits for use in an emergency situation at present. However, establishing a fully fledged laboratory is urgent" Dr. Amarasekara fears that there is a risk of infection among poultry farms running near migratory bird parks as majority small of farmers do not maintain high bio security measures. However, the Department has taken measures to educate poultry farmers about the impending threat. He admitted that investigations are limited due to the dearth of adequate resources to ascertain whether some Avian virus infected migratory birds have entered the country. However, the Government has allocated Rs.250 million additional funds for this program, Dr.Amarasekara said. He said "all doors of entry of this trans-boundary disease to Sri Lanka have been closed except from migratory birds". Though many environmentalists argue that birds from affected countries do not migrate to Sri Lanka, Presidential award winner for outstanding contribution for environment in 2004 and member of the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society Douglas Ranasinghe confirmed that so many birds from affected countries in East Asia and West Europe migrate to Sri Lanka. When asked to identify the birds migrating to Sri Lanka from affected countries he named mostly ducks and waders. Ducks are the carriers of this disease, he noted. SAARC Regional Coordinator Dr.Mohinder Oberoi said that since late 2005, reports of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Kazakhastan, Mongolia, Russia, China (Tibet and Xinjiang) Turkey, Romania,Croatia, United Kingdom indicate the range of the disease is expanding from East and Southeast Asia to more areas in a north westerly direction. Health Ministry's Deputy Epidemiologist Dr. Mrs. Paba Palihawadana warned that so far 64 persons have died due to the virus. "The danger is that 50% of the infected persons have so far died as there is no specific vaccine for bird flu but we use influenza vaccine as an alternative", she said. |
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