# 2144
My thanks to Crof over at Crofsblog for alerting me to the fact that the June issue of Annals Academy of Medicine Singapore is devoted to avian flu issues.
Here are the table of contents for the current issue, with links to the individual articles. Obviously a good deal to read and absorb.
Vol 37 No 6 June 2008
Recurring Infectious Disease Themes:
Pandemic Influenza and Antimicrobial Drug Resistance (Part I)
| Editorial | Original Articles | Review Articles | Commentary |Guest Editors:
Kee Tai Goh, MD, MSc, FAMS
Vincent TK Chow, MD, PhD, FRCPath
Paul A Tambyah, FAMS, MBBS, DipABIM
Editorial
To Kill A Mocking Bird Flu?
Vincent TK Chow, Paul A Tambyah, Kee Tai Goh
Clinical and Epidemiological Features of Patients With Confirmed Avian Influenza Presenting to Sulianti Saroso Infectious Diseases Hospital,
Indonesia, 2005-2007
Sardikin Giriputro, Rismali Agus, Sri Sulastri, Dewi Murniati, Fitryani Darwis, IB Sila Wiweka, Adria Rusli, Sondang Sirait, Susi Marhaningtyas, Tuti Hendrawardati, Rinaldi, Tony Soetanto, Elly Deliana, Iman Firmansyah
A Cross-sectional Study of Primary-care Physicians in Singapore on Their Concerns and Preparedness for an Avian Influenza Outbreak
Teck Yee Wong, Gerald CH Koh, Seng Kwing Cheong, Meena Sundram, Kelvin Koh, Sin Eng Chia, David Koh
The Efficacy of Influenza Vaccination in Healthcare Workers in a Tropical Setting: A Prospective Investigator Blinded Observational Study
Si Wei Kheok, Chia Yin Chong, Grace McCarthy, Wai Yee Lim, Khean Teik Goh, Lubna Razak, Nancy SW Tee, Paul A Tambyah
Twentieth Century Influenza Pandemics in Singapore
Vernon J Lee, Chia Siong Wong, Paul A Tambyah, Jeffery Cutter, Mark I Chen, Kee Tai Goh
A Global Perspective on Avian Influenza
Adrian Ong, Mary Kindhauser, Ian Smith, Margaret Chan
Towards Mutual Trust, Transparency and Equity in Virus Sharing Mechanism: The Avian Influenza Case of Indonesia
Endang R Sedyaningsih, Siti Isfandari, Triono Soendoro, Siti Fadilah Supari
Avian Influenza and Pandemic Influenza Preparedness in Hong Kong
Ping Yan Lam
Preparing for an Influenza Pandemic in Singapore
Jeffery Cutter
Prevention and Control of Avian Influenza in Singapore
Hon Keong Leong, Cheryl S Goh, Siang Thai Chew, Chee Wee Lim, Yueh Nuo Lin, Siow Foong Chang, Him Hoo Yap, Sin Bin Chua
Antiviral Drugs for the Control of Pandemic Influenza Virus
Richard J Sugrue, Boon-Huan Tan, Dawn SY Yeo, Richard Sutejo
The article getting the most attention right now is entitled Towards Mutual Trust, Transparency and Equity in Virus Sharing Mechanism: The Avian Influenza Case of Indonesia by
Endang R Sedyaningsih, Siti Isfandari, Triono Soendoro, Siti Fadilah Supari.
Essentially this lays out Indonesia's rationale for withholding virus samples from the rest of the world.
Robert Roos over at CIDRAP News has an excellent overview of this article for those who would rather not wade through the original article.
Indonesia details reasons for withholding H5N1 viruses
Robert Roos
News Editor
Jul 15, 2008 (CIDRAP News) – In a recent medical journal article, Indonesian officials detailed the rationale for their refusal to share H5N1 influenza virus samples with the World Health Organization (WHO), asserting that it was in part a response to violations of the WHO's own guidelines by scientists and laboratories.
A key part of the Indonesian argument is that the WHO issued a statement in March 2005 that its reference labs should not distribute biological specimens to other organizations without permission from the country that supplied them. The report also maintains that withholding the viruses is not a violation of the International Health Regulations (IHR).
The report, authored by four Indonesian scientists and officials, including Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari, was published in the June issue of Annals Academy of Medicine Singapore.
The article gives the Indonesian version of the sequence of events leading to the government's decision in January 2007 to stop sending H5N1 viruses to the WHO's reference labs. The essential reason was, and remains, the concern that samples provided freely by developing countries are used by companies in wealthy countries to develop vaccines and other products that the developing countries can't afford. Indonesia wants a guarantee that it will share in the benefits derived from the isolates it provides.
