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NYT News Avian Influenza
Monday, February 04, 2008
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Remember the pandemic threat? (Some) IT planners do
by Patrick Thibodeau
November 28, 2007 (Computerworld) The avian flu has a plot line similar to a Stephen King novel. It's a menacing presence, mysterious and somewhat hidden, striking in out-of-way places and threatening broader havoc -- a global evil. And until this year, it was a best-seller in newsrooms, spurring headlines that raised public attention and spurred organizations to plan for it.
But media interest in the threat of a pandemic has fallen off. In a report this summer about pandemic planning, the White House said that attention to the pandemic has "waned in the media," while "the threat of avian influenza and the potential for an influenza pandemic has not."
The U.S. Government Accountability Office followed up in a report last month, and said the challenge for many organizations is "maintaining a focus on pandemic planning due to the uncertainty of when a pandemic may occur" and the need to address more immediate issues.
"There's been a bit of what we call pandemic fatigue," says Myles Druckman, vice president of medical assistance of International SOS, a health and safety consulting service with some 4,500 employees worldwide. "When it fell out of the media, it also fell out of a lot of clients' priority lists ... because now they weren't being pushed, not only by the media but by their employees," he says.
In interviews of attendees at Gartner Inc.'s data center conference this week in Las Vegas, IT managers said they were nonetheless continuing to prepare for the potential.
Bob Kallas, director of computer support services at a company he didn't want named, says his firm conducted a test a few months ago to see how many workers it could support remotely. The company picked a day and then told several hundred employees to work from home. "We want to measure readiness to be able to support the company," he says.
Richard Siedzik, director of computer and telecommunications services at Bryant University in Smithfield, R.I., says pandemic planning continues at his university, with bimonthly meetings held specifically to address the issue. From an IT perspective, he says, the major planning issue remains continuing operations if the university is forced to close, which mostly means ensuring there's enough remote access capacity on various systems.
But Siedzik says IT is only a small part of the overall planning challenge. For instance, the university has to prepare for the possibility that some students won't be able to return home because of quarantines in their community. "We have to make arrangements to sustain students on our campus," he says.
Chuck Conway, IT operations manager at an energy firm he didn't identify, says pandemic planning has become part of the company's overall business continuity planning, and he says it has examined its capacity to support remote workers and have developed scenarios. He says increased media attention on this issue may prompt more IT spending to build out even more capacity, but for now "we can live with what we have."
The avian influenza has killed a little more than 200 people, about half in Indonesia. The fear is that the virus will change into something that's easily spread by people, touching off a global pandemic.
Earlier this fall, financial services groups along with the U.S. Department of Treasury conducted a three-week planning scenario, and planned for pandemic that would kill about 1.7 million people in the U.S. and hospitalize 9 million. About 10,000 people from 3,000 companies participated in what may have been largest test of its kind in the world.
But when organizers held a press conference to announce preliminary details from the test, it received little in the way of press attention, except from trade publications, says Jim Binder, a spokesman for The Options Clearing Corp., a Chicago-based provider of derivatives clearing and settlement service. Binder was involved in the overall organizing effort. "It's not as sensational to talk about the bird flu today as it was a year ago," he says.
The avian flu remains a focal point of several diligent blogs. Among them is the H5N1 blog maintained by Crawford Kilian, a writer who teaches at a Canadian college. In response to some questions, he wrote in a note: "Business planning for a pandemic is like making your will -- because you have to contemplate something awful, you'd rather not contemplate it at all. So if the media aren't nagging us, we'll put it off. The catch-22 is that they won't nag us unless people are dying daily and in growing numbers."
Remember the pandemic threat? (Some) IT planners do
November 28, 2007 (Computerworld) The avian flu has a plot line similar to a Stephen King novel. It's a menacing presence, mysterious and somewhat hidden, striking in out-of-way places and threatening broader havoc -- a global evil. And until this year, it was a best-seller in newsrooms, spurring headlines that raised public attention and spurred organizations to plan for it.
But media interest in the threat of a pandemic has fallen off. In a report this summer about pandemic planning, the White House said that attention to the pandemic has "waned in the media," while "the threat of avian influenza and the potential for an influenza pandemic has not."
The U.S. Government Accountability Office followed up in a report last month, and said the challenge for many organizations is "maintaining a focus on pandemic planning due to the uncertainty of when a pandemic may occur" and the need to address more immediate issues.
"There's been a bit of what we call pandemic fatigue," says Myles Druckman, vice president of medical assistance of International SOS, a health and safety consulting service with some 4,500 employees worldwide. "When it fell out of the media, it also fell out of a lot of clients' priority lists ... because now they weren't being pushed, not only by the media but by their employees," he says.
In interviews of attendees at Gartner Inc.'s data center conference this week in Las Vegas, IT managers said they were nonetheless continuing to prepare for the potential.
Bob Kallas, director of computer support services at a company he didn't want named, says his firm conducted a test a few months ago to see how many workers it could support remotely. The company picked a day and then told several hundred employees to work from home. "We want to measure readiness to be able to support the company," he says.
Richard Siedzik, director of computer and telecommunications services at Bryant University in Smithfield, R.I., says pandemic planning continues at his university, with bimonthly meetings held specifically to address the issue. From an IT perspective, he says, the major planning issue remains continuing operations if the university is forced to close, which mostly means ensuring there's enough remote access capacity on various systems.
But Siedzik says IT is only a small part of the overall planning challenge. For instance, the university has to prepare for the possibility that some students won't be able to return home because of quarantines in their community. "We have to make arrangements to sustain students on our campus," he says.
Chuck Conway, IT operations manager at an energy firm he didn't identify, says pandemic planning has become part of the company's overall business continuity planning, and he says it has examined its capacity to support remote workers and have developed scenarios. He says increased media attention on this issue may prompt more IT spending to build out even more capacity, but for now "we can live with what we have."
The avian influenza has killed a little more than 200 people, about half in Indonesia. The fear is that the virus will change into something that's easily spread by people, touching off a global pandemic.
Earlier this fall, financial services groups along with the U.S. Department of Treasury conducted a three-week planning scenario, and planned for pandemic that would kill about 1.7 million people in the U.S. and hospitalize 9 million. About 10,000 people from 3,000 companies participated in what may have been largest test of its kind in the world.
But when organizers held a press conference to announce preliminary details from the test, it received little in the way of press attention, except from trade publications, says Jim Binder, a spokesman for The Options Clearing Corp., a Chicago-based provider of derivatives clearing and settlement service. Binder was involved in the overall organizing effort. "It's not as sensational to talk about the bird flu today as it was a year ago," he says.
The avian flu remains a focal point of several diligent blogs. Among them is the H5N1 blog maintained by Crawford Kilian, a writer who teaches at a Canadian college. In response to some questions, he wrote in a note: "Business planning for a pandemic is like making your will -- because you have to contemplate something awful, you'd rather not contemplate it at all. So if the media aren't nagging us, we'll put it off. The catch-22 is that they won't nag us unless people are dying daily and in growing numbers."
Remember the pandemic threat? (Some) IT planners do
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Avian Flu: Are We All Sitting Ducks?
By: Laura Turner
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last few months, you’ve heard the buzz: bird flu, avian flu, pandemic. Heck, even Ted Koppel admitted he’s been doing outside reading on the Flu’s origin. What does it all mean? Is it really cause for concern? As always it’s best to educate yourself on the state of affairs, then decide what you can do. What we know: President Bush has outlined a 7 billion dollar program to prepare the US for the outbreak of the avian flu virus. Thanks much, but studies also report that even with this large number there could be a shortage if we reach a full blown pandemic (Never mind the question, where-o-where will we find the 7 billion?). Therefore, before we become panic stricken, let’s first note the facts beginning with the query: Why is this flu such a concern? What we know: The particular strain of influenza H5N1 has shown up in birds first in Hong Kong and moved throughout Asia. The cases of human casualty have all been with persons in contact with the virus (I could only find one exception to this). Thus, the majority of deaths (somewhere around 60) have resulted from contact with an infected bird. From this we conclude, in all likelihood H5N1 in its current form does not spread from person to person. The fear: The virus mutates to form a hybrid version that can become airborne and spread from human to human at an alarming rate. This frightens researchers because humans have not developed immunity to one particular protein in the strain. In all likelihood? The mutation could simply lead to a less severe version of the original. The absolute worst case scenario: The virus becomes self evolving creating a rapidly spreading pandemic. What we know: Immunologists seem in agreement that most humans build an immunity to a variety of influenza strains and a strong immune system can be the first responder to a flu attack. Although several prototype vaccines are currently being developed, there is no guarantee that they will be able to conquer a mutated virus, and while two antiviral drugs “Tamiflu” and “Relenza” are believed to reduce the severity of H5N1, they must be given within a 24-48 hour period after infection. Yet the same mutation disclaimer could also apply. The shot then, while always a good idea for special populations and children, does not offer a magic bullet as far as this scientist can speculate . Are we all sitting ducks then, waiting to be swallowed up by such devastation? I say: a resounding “No!” What we should be publicizing is: There is much you can do to arm yourself. First, have hope. Next, learn to build your immune system. Exercise, proper nutrition, sound sleep and meditation are all things you can do on a daily basis that will stimulate the immune system and build your force field against dangerous pathogens. It’s not just me saying so, either. This is the prescription given by researchers at Columbia University's School of Public Health. And finally, As much as I believe it is important to be well informed about the state of the world at large, take a break from the negativity, and forget about natural selection. While Darwin may be looking down and wringing his hands from above, God knows we’ve all got better things to do.
For more info visit: www.pandemicflu.gov
Resources: USA Today Associated Press
About the author: Laura M. Turner is a 15-year veteran fitness instructor, fitness trainer and natural health practitioner.
She hosts http://www.body-and-beauty.com a website dedicated to inspiring and educating others about the benefits of creativity, natural health and fitness.
Check out Laura's latest book Spiritual Fitness: The 7-Steps to Living Well or subscribe FREE to her online magazine The New Body News and Wellness Letter: http://www.new-body-news.com
Article Source: www.isnare.com
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last few months, you’ve heard the buzz: bird flu, avian flu, pandemic. Heck, even Ted Koppel admitted he’s been doing outside reading on the Flu’s origin. What does it all mean? Is it really cause for concern? As always it’s best to educate yourself on the state of affairs, then decide what you can do. What we know: President Bush has outlined a 7 billion dollar program to prepare the US for the outbreak of the avian flu virus. Thanks much, but studies also report that even with this large number there could be a shortage if we reach a full blown pandemic (Never mind the question, where-o-where will we find the 7 billion?). Therefore, before we become panic stricken, let’s first note the facts beginning with the query: Why is this flu such a concern? What we know: The particular strain of influenza H5N1 has shown up in birds first in Hong Kong and moved throughout Asia. The cases of human casualty have all been with persons in contact with the virus (I could only find one exception to this). Thus, the majority of deaths (somewhere around 60) have resulted from contact with an infected bird. From this we conclude, in all likelihood H5N1 in its current form does not spread from person to person. The fear: The virus mutates to form a hybrid version that can become airborne and spread from human to human at an alarming rate. This frightens researchers because humans have not developed immunity to one particular protein in the strain. In all likelihood? The mutation could simply lead to a less severe version of the original. The absolute worst case scenario: The virus becomes self evolving creating a rapidly spreading pandemic. What we know: Immunologists seem in agreement that most humans build an immunity to a variety of influenza strains and a strong immune system can be the first responder to a flu attack. Although several prototype vaccines are currently being developed, there is no guarantee that they will be able to conquer a mutated virus, and while two antiviral drugs “Tamiflu” and “Relenza” are believed to reduce the severity of H5N1, they must be given within a 24-48 hour period after infection. Yet the same mutation disclaimer could also apply. The shot then, while always a good idea for special populations and children, does not offer a magic bullet as far as this scientist can speculate . Are we all sitting ducks then, waiting to be swallowed up by such devastation? I say: a resounding “No!” What we should be publicizing is: There is much you can do to arm yourself. First, have hope. Next, learn to build your immune system. Exercise, proper nutrition, sound sleep and meditation are all things you can do on a daily basis that will stimulate the immune system and build your force field against dangerous pathogens. It’s not just me saying so, either. This is the prescription given by researchers at Columbia University's School of Public Health. And finally, As much as I believe it is important to be well informed about the state of the world at large, take a break from the negativity, and forget about natural selection. While Darwin may be looking down and wringing his hands from above, God knows we’ve all got better things to do.
For more info visit: www.pandemicflu.gov
Resources: USA Today Associated Press
About the author: Laura M. Turner is a 15-year veteran fitness instructor, fitness trainer and natural health practitioner.
She hosts http://www.body-and-beauty.com a website dedicated to inspiring and educating others about the benefits of creativity, natural health and fitness.
Check out Laura's latest book Spiritual Fitness: The 7-Steps to Living Well or subscribe FREE to her online magazine The New Body News and Wellness Letter: http://www.new-body-news.com
Article Source: www.isnare.com
Bird flu started passing from person to person?
An Indonesian family has become infected with mortally dangerous H5N1 virus. According to WHO specialists, it might be caused by their prolonged contact with the first ill person in their family and then with each other.
Six of the seven infected Indonesians died. A group of international experts failed to found birds infected by bird flu in the area of the family’s living, UN WHO states. That is why it is supposed that the H5N1 virus could be transmitted without them. However, it is still impossible to maintain that the virus was transmitted exactly from person to person. Specialists are trying to find alternative way or source of the infection.
The WHO is quoted by Reuters as stating that tests do not confirm considerable mutations of the bird flu virus.
Permanent news address: www.regnum.ru/english/645115.html15:32 05/24/2006
Six of the seven infected Indonesians died. A group of international experts failed to found birds infected by bird flu in the area of the family’s living, UN WHO states. That is why it is supposed that the H5N1 virus could be transmitted without them. However, it is still impossible to maintain that the virus was transmitted exactly from person to person. Specialists are trying to find alternative way or source of the infection.
The WHO is quoted by Reuters as stating that tests do not confirm considerable mutations of the bird flu virus.
Permanent news address: www.regnum.ru/english/645115.html15:32 05/24/2006
Thursday, May 04, 2006
UK grid computing put to work on fighting avian flu
During April, computers in the UK have been working overtime in the fight against avian flu. As part of an international collaboration, computers at eleven UK universities and research labs have put in one hundred thousand hours of time searching for possible drug components against the avian flu virus H5N1. The analysis used a computing Grid, a new network that brings together worldwide computer resources to solve scientific problems.The computing Grid used in the UK was originally built to help particle physicists examine the huge amounts of data from their experiments. But it is now part of a wider project called EGEE (Enabling Grids for E-sciencE), that lets other scientists share its resources. As Professor Tony Doyle, Project Leader for the UK particle physics Grid, explains, "The Grid is useful for any kind of research that needs lots of computing power. In this case it's greatly speeded up a step in the search for drugs against avian flu, and we've been pleased to use the UK particle physics Grid to help." A collaboration of Asian and European laboratories used an international Grid to analyse 300,000 possible drug components against the virus. 2000 computers were used during 4 weeks in April - the equivalent of 100 years on a single computer. More than 60 000 output files with a data volume of 600 Gigabytes were created. Potential drug compounds against avian flu are now being identified and ranked according to the binding energies of the docked models.The computers used in the UK came from the Universities of Brunel, Birmingham, Durham, Edinburgh, Imperial College London, Lancaster, Manchester, Oxford, Royal Holloway University of London, University College London, and CCLRC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. They are all part of the GridPP project, which runs the UK particle physics Grid.Professor Keith Mason, CEO of the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC), which funds GridPP says, "This project is a clear example of how developments in basic research can support wider applications. GridPP has been developed to help answer questions about the conditions in the Universe just after the Big Bang, but the same resources and techniques can be exploited by other sciences with a more direct benefit to society.""With these results, the Grid demonstrates that it is a powerful and reliable resource for scientists, opening up new research possibilities and improving existing methods," said Viviane Reding, European Commissioner responsible for Information Society and Media. "I am very grateful to see that the European flagship Grid infrastructure is contributing to solving current and socially important problems such as avian flu."The goal was to find potential compounds that can inhibit the activities of an enzyme on the surface of the influenza virus, the so-called neuraminidase, subtype N1. One of the targets of existing drugs today on the market is viral neuraminidase, an enzyme that helps the virus to proliferate and infect more cells. As this protein is known to evolve into variants if it comes under drug stress, drug resistance becomes a potential concern in case of an influenza pandemic.The challenge of the drug discovery application is to identify those molecules which can dock on the active sites of the virus in order to inhibit its action. To study the impact of small scale mutations on drug resistance, a large set of compounds was screened against the same neuraminidase target but with various, slightly different structures. With the results from the computer screening, researchers can predict which compounds and chemical fragments are most effective for blocking the active neuraminidases in case of mutations. "With the help of the high-speed computing and huge data managing capabilities of the Grid, possible drug components can be screened and studied very rapidly by the available computer modelling applications," says Ying-Ta Wu, biologist at the Genomics Research Center of the Academia Sinica in Taipei. "This will free up medicinal chemists' time to better respond to instant, large-scale threats. Moreover, we can concentrate our biological assays in the laboratory on the most promising components, the ones we expect to have the greatest impact." Taking advantage of the experience acquired in a previous WISDOM data challenge on malaria, the Grid-enabled process was implemented in less than a month on three different Grid infrastructures: AuverGrid, EGEE, and TWGrid, paving the way for a virtual drug screening service at a large scale. The next WISDOM data challenge against several targets of neglected diseases will take place in autumn 2006. This drug discovery application against the avian flu virus was jointly deployed by the Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taiwan; Academia Sinica Grid Computing Team, Taiwan; Corpuscular Physics Laboratory of Clermont-Ferrand, CNRS/IN2P3, France; Institute for Biomedical Technologies, CNR, Italy, in collaboration with the EGEE project, the AuverGrid regional grid in Auvergne, and the TWGrid. This work took place in collaboration with the EMBRACE network of excellence and the BioInfoGrid project. The majority of computing is conducted on the WISDOM platform; in addition, a light-weight application framework called DIANE was also adopted in this challenge and used to perform a sizeable fraction of the total activity to enable efficient computing resource integration and usage. The UK particle physics Grid is part of the EGEE project.The Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC) is the UK's strategic science investment agency. It funds research, education and public understanding in four areas of science - particle physics, astronomy, cosmology and space science. PPARC is government funded and provides research grants and studentships to scientists in British universities, gives researchers access to world-class facilities and funds the UK membership of international bodies such as the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN), the European Southern Observatory and the European Space Agency. It also contributes money for the UK telescopes overseas on La Palma, Hawaii, Australia and in Chile, the UK Astronomy Technology Centre at the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh and the MERLIN/VLBI National Facility, which includes the Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank observatory.
Senate adds $289 million in supplemental funding for avian flu
By Peter Cohn and Emily Heil, CongressDaily
The Senate voted Wednesday to add $289 million to establish a compensation fund for victims of experimental vaccines and other products designed to combat possible pandemics such as avian flu.
The 53-46 vote was another setback for fiscal conservatives on a still-growing $109 billion fiscal 2006 emergency supplemental spending bill for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. President Bush has threatened to veto the measure if it emerges from a House-Senate conference greater than $94.5 billion.
Both the Bush request and the Senate bill, moving toward passage Thursday, back $2.3 billion for avian flu countermeasures, on top of $3.8 billion included in the fiscal 2006 Defense spending bill to begin implementing Bush's pandemic flu preparedness plan.
Last year's Defense bill also contained liability protections for pharmaceutical manufacturers developing vaccines to combat the deadly flu virus, at the behest of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., and House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., after the conference report had been signed.
They argued the liability protections were needed to spur development of anti-viral drugs. But critics were rebuffed in their efforts to establish a compensation program for victims of experimental drugs gone awry.
Arguing victims have no redress while drug companies are protected from lawsuits, Health, Education, Labor and Pensions ranking member Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., swayed 11 Republicans to back his amendment.
The effort coincides with the Bush administration's release Wednesday of its revised pandemic preparedness plan. The one area where the administration acted quickly, Kennedy said on the floor, was in backing Frist's liability protection amendment to the Defense bill.
"This lopsided provision gave drug companies a free pass to ignore even basic safety standards but denied nurses, doctors, firefighters and other first responders compensation if they were injured by faulty vaccines," he said.
The avian flu amendment, as well as numerous others, faces an uphill climb in conference with the House's $91.9 billion version. Conservatives have conceded defeat on the Senate floor on a series of amendments targeting provisions they regard as unnecessary to the war on terror or hurricane relief.
Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., has withdrawn most of his amendments, including one to strike $11.3 million for flood protection in Sacramento, Calif. The Bush pandemic flu plan urged local and state governments to make preparations for a potential outbreak and not wait for a federal bailout. The plan adds detail to the outline the White House unveiled last fall for readying for a possible outbreak of the avian flu.
The plan lays out specifics steps the government could take to slow the spread of the potentially deadly virus, including a ban on travel and deploying a stockpile of drugs to affected areas. The report also underscores the effect a flu outbreak would have on the economy, noting that as much as 40 percent of workers might stay home for as long as two weeks.
Kennedy dismissed the report for not detailing how it would work, including how vaccines would be distributed. "A flu plan that doesn't say how to distribute vaccine is about as useful as a hurricane plan that doesn't say how to rescue people from a flood," he said.
This document is located at http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0506/050306cdpm2.htm
The Senate voted Wednesday to add $289 million to establish a compensation fund for victims of experimental vaccines and other products designed to combat possible pandemics such as avian flu.
The 53-46 vote was another setback for fiscal conservatives on a still-growing $109 billion fiscal 2006 emergency supplemental spending bill for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. President Bush has threatened to veto the measure if it emerges from a House-Senate conference greater than $94.5 billion.
Both the Bush request and the Senate bill, moving toward passage Thursday, back $2.3 billion for avian flu countermeasures, on top of $3.8 billion included in the fiscal 2006 Defense spending bill to begin implementing Bush's pandemic flu preparedness plan.
Last year's Defense bill also contained liability protections for pharmaceutical manufacturers developing vaccines to combat the deadly flu virus, at the behest of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., and House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., after the conference report had been signed.
They argued the liability protections were needed to spur development of anti-viral drugs. But critics were rebuffed in their efforts to establish a compensation program for victims of experimental drugs gone awry.
Arguing victims have no redress while drug companies are protected from lawsuits, Health, Education, Labor and Pensions ranking member Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., swayed 11 Republicans to back his amendment.
The effort coincides with the Bush administration's release Wednesday of its revised pandemic preparedness plan. The one area where the administration acted quickly, Kennedy said on the floor, was in backing Frist's liability protection amendment to the Defense bill.
"This lopsided provision gave drug companies a free pass to ignore even basic safety standards but denied nurses, doctors, firefighters and other first responders compensation if they were injured by faulty vaccines," he said.
The avian flu amendment, as well as numerous others, faces an uphill climb in conference with the House's $91.9 billion version. Conservatives have conceded defeat on the Senate floor on a series of amendments targeting provisions they regard as unnecessary to the war on terror or hurricane relief.
Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., has withdrawn most of his amendments, including one to strike $11.3 million for flood protection in Sacramento, Calif. The Bush pandemic flu plan urged local and state governments to make preparations for a potential outbreak and not wait for a federal bailout. The plan adds detail to the outline the White House unveiled last fall for readying for a possible outbreak of the avian flu.
The plan lays out specifics steps the government could take to slow the spread of the potentially deadly virus, including a ban on travel and deploying a stockpile of drugs to affected areas. The report also underscores the effect a flu outbreak would have on the economy, noting that as much as 40 percent of workers might stay home for as long as two weeks.
Kennedy dismissed the report for not detailing how it would work, including how vaccines would be distributed. "A flu plan that doesn't say how to distribute vaccine is about as useful as a hurricane plan that doesn't say how to rescue people from a flood," he said.
This document is located at http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0506/050306cdpm2.htm
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Если птичку жалко
О гриппующих пернатых лучше сообщить по "горячему" телефону
"горячей линии" Государственной ветеринарной службы Москвы по птичьему гриппу - 612-12-12
Государственная ветеринарная служба Москвы призывает москвичей принять участие в борьбе с птичьим гриппом. Организована специальная "горячая линия", по которой любой житель столицы может сообщить о возможном проникновении заразы в город.
Особое внимание ветеринары рекомендуют обращать на мертвых птиц, а также на пернатых, которые вяло двигаются, отказываются от пищи и постоянно держат клюв приоткрытым. Кроме того, больная птица обычно покачивает головой, у нее капает из носа, выпадают перья. В общем, почти все, как у простуженного человека. Плюс шаткая походка, возможны расстройства пищеварения. Кстати, дотрагиваться до такой птицы (хоть живой, хоть мертвой) категорически не рекомендуется. Ветеринары просят москвичей предупредить об этом своих детей, которые могут воспринять ослабленного пернатого как новую интересную игрушку. Рекомендуется строго следить и за другими любителями мертвых и полумертвых птиц, то есть за домашними кошками и собаками. Они вполне могут доставить инфекцию прямо вам на квартиру.
"РГ" уже сообщала, что в ближайшее время появятся 52 передвижных пункта для вакцинации пернатых, где любой житель Москвы сможет привить своего попугая или канарейку. Прививки можно будет сделать также в крупных питомниках, где содержатся птицы, в зоопарках и цирках. Впрочем, руководство обитателей Московского зоопарка в связи с угрозой птичьего гриппа намерено часть пернатых перевести в подмосковный филиал.
"горячей линии" Государственной ветеринарной службы Москвы по птичьему гриппу - 612-12-12
Государственная ветеринарная служба Москвы призывает москвичей принять участие в борьбе с птичьим гриппом. Организована специальная "горячая линия", по которой любой житель столицы может сообщить о возможном проникновении заразы в город.
Особое внимание ветеринары рекомендуют обращать на мертвых птиц, а также на пернатых, которые вяло двигаются, отказываются от пищи и постоянно держат клюв приоткрытым. Кроме того, больная птица обычно покачивает головой, у нее капает из носа, выпадают перья. В общем, почти все, как у простуженного человека. Плюс шаткая походка, возможны расстройства пищеварения. Кстати, дотрагиваться до такой птицы (хоть живой, хоть мертвой) категорически не рекомендуется. Ветеринары просят москвичей предупредить об этом своих детей, которые могут воспринять ослабленного пернатого как новую интересную игрушку. Рекомендуется строго следить и за другими любителями мертвых и полумертвых птиц, то есть за домашними кошками и собаками. Они вполне могут доставить инфекцию прямо вам на квартиру.
"РГ" уже сообщала, что в ближайшее время появятся 52 передвижных пункта для вакцинации пернатых, где любой житель Москвы сможет привить своего попугая или канарейку. Прививки можно будет сделать также в крупных питомниках, где содержатся птицы, в зоопарках и цирках. Впрочем, руководство обитателей Московского зоопарка в связи с угрозой птичьего гриппа намерено часть пернатых перевести в подмосковный филиал.
Friday, April 21, 2006
Secret avian flu archive
At a time when health authorities are racing to head off a possible avian flu pandemic, it is distressing to learn that the World Health Organization is operating a secret database that holds the virus' genetic information. A lone Italian scientist has challenged the system by refusing to send her own data to the password-protected archive. Instead, she released the information publicly and urged her colleagues to do the same.
She is surely right. The limited-access archive should be opened or bypassed immediately to encourage research on this looming health menace. The campaign by Ilaria Capua, an Italian veterinarian who works on avian influenza, was spotlighted in recent articles in the journal Science and The Wall Street Journal. The hidden data could be of immense value in determining how the virus is evolving and in developing effective vaccines or drugs. The possibility of breakthroughs can increase only if many more scientists can analyze the data.
The rationale for the closed system is that the restrictions encourage scientists who are worried about being scooped by rivals to share their data on a limited basis even before they have published their findings in ajournal. Confidentiality is also needed, some say, to encourage skittish countries, worried about bad publicity or the loss of intellectual property, to release the genetic sequences of viruses found on their territory.
Those arguments seem insubstantial now that some top WHO officials and other health authorities have called for opening the exclusive-access system. Academic and national pride must not be allowed to slow potentially crucial health research.
The New York Times
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