# 343
Today, Margaret Chan of the WHO (World Health Organization) once again reminded the world that the threat of avian flu, and a potential pandemic, remains. This from CBC News.
Don't let down guard against bird flu: WHO chief
Last Updated: Monday, January 22, 2007 | 12:11 PM ET
CBC News
The threat of a human flu pandemic continues to linger as the world tries to fight bird flu in poultry, the head of the World Health Organization said Monday.
"As long as the virus continues to circulate in birds, the threat of a pandemic will persist," Margaret Chan, WHO's director-general, said at the opening of the UN agency's executive board meeting in Geneva.
"The message is straightforward: we must not let down our guard."
Despite "heroic efforts" to contain the virus in poultry flocks, the world is years away from gaining control of bird flu in the agricultural sector, Chan said.
As dismal as the prospect is, the H5N1 virus doesn’t appear to be going anywhere. It has been detected in birds, and other animal species, in nearly 50 countries around the world. In some regions, it is endemic.
Scientists believe that this virus is likely to continue to spread, and infect more hosts, for years to come. As long as it continues to exist in the environment, it continues to present a pandemic threat.
Already this virus has been a disaster to third world countries, where it has devastated poultry production, and threatens the food supply of millions. The ecological damage it may cause, due to the loss of wild birds, is something we may be unable to gauge for some time. And the loss of human life, while small when compared to many other diseases, is no less tragic.
Much like the cold war threat of nuclear annihilation and the more recent threats of global terrorism; avian flu, and other emerging infectious diseases, are likely to remain long-term problems.
Those that are new to following the avian flu story may be alarmed at the recent upswing in reported cases around the world. We’ve seen human cases in Indonesia and Egypt over the past month, and outbreaks in birds in countries such as Thailand, Korea, Vietnam, Nigeria, and Indonesia, among others.
While these cases are worrisome, and are deserving of our attention, this resurgence of incidents was expected. Winter in the Northern Hemisphere is a time when the virus flourishes, and a time of heightened activity. With a larger geographic range for the virus each year, the number of incidents should be expected to rise.
Just as we learned to live with the Atom bomb in the 1950’s, and the daily terrorism threat levels of this new century, we are going to have to learn to live with the continuing threat of avian flu. We need to prepare, in the event a pandemic should erupt, but we must also learn to live our lives around this threat, not be consumed by it.
By strengthening our public health systems, and preparing personally for a pandemic, or any other major crisis, we can be better prepared for whatever comes. It’s not only cheap insurance; it provides peace of mind.
Living with the threat, and ignoring it, are two different things. And we dare not succumb to bird flu fatigue. We need to be prepared for the long haul.
A pandemic may, or may not spring forth from the H5N1 virus. No one knows. The virus has the potential to spark the next pandemic, but beyond that, we won’t know until it actually happens.
