Continued from here
It is now…V. closely.
Repost of Aug 31 info from the previous thread:
News
For the geographically challenged among us, Papua is the western portion of the island of New Guinea.
Liputan6.com, Merauke: the Health Service of the Merauke Regency, Papua, distributed medicine of the bird flu charm to several pharmacies in Merauke, just recently. This was carried out to anticipate spread him the bird flu virus followed the death of thousands of chickens in Timika. Medicine oseltamivir this just was accepted from the Department of the Health. Dinkes Merauke also asked the Merauke regional Public Hospital to prepare special space for bird flu casualties. Moreover the health service also increased the supervision of the piece chicken from Makassar and Surabaya. This step was carried out because Timika was the important connecting city the citizen’s traffic and the thing to Merauke. In the meantime, the official of the Big Veteriner Hall co-operated Officially Polewali Livestock Breeding, Sulawesi West, merazia hundreds of chickens that was brought in from the endemic area of bird flu. This was carried out to ascertain the chicken that was sent to Polewali safe for the consumer and the breeders. The raid will like this continue to take place for several days in the future. These animals were taken the sample of blood and his waste to be tested in the laboratory. However results just were it was known slowest two weeks came. Uptil now around 70 percent of the requirement for the chicken was in Polewali caused from the Maros Regency, Sidrap, Pinrang, Parepare. This area was known already terjangkit bird flu [read: the Bird Flu Patient from Cikelet was isolated]. (Ian/Tim Coverage 6 SCTV)
http://www.liputan6.com/view/7,128383,1,0,1157079528.html
If anyone wants to follow what is or is not happening on the island of New Guinea, here are some online newspapers. I just found the one in Papua, Indonesia. It is fairly rudementary in appearance, but the news is there. Click the date on the left side, then scroll down the right side till you see the topics, then scroll some more to read the articles. The two in Papua New Guinea usually are updated everyday around 7:00 pm US Central Standard Time, except over the weekend.
Papua, Indonesia Newspaper:
http://www.kabar-irian.com/news/index.html
Papua New Guinea newspapers:
7.0 earthquake in Papua New Guinea today
Government allots K5million for bird flu watch THE National Government has allocated K5 million for the early surveillance of bird flu. The money will be used for public awareness in high-risk entry areas, preparedness, planning and rapid response to an outbreak of bird flu. Should there be an outbreak K2 million has been allocated exclusively to respond to it. National Agriculture Quarantine and Inspection Authority (NAQIA) managing director Andrew Yamanea welcomed the commitment. “These commitments by the Government, combined with support from several donor agencies including AusAID, Secretariat for the Pacific Community and Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, are most welcome and have been instrumental in strengthening early warning and preparedness capacity,” he said. Mr Yamanea said NAQIA was working closely with the Health Department, the National Disaster Centre and the PNG Defence Force to draft credible plans to address the threat of avian influenza. A technical task force has been established to oversee drafting and development of plans and related preparedness and response activities. NAQIA, with help from AusAID, has drafted the PNG National Contingency Plan for Preparedness and Response for Avian Influenza for Animals. Meanwhile, the authority is currently hosting a three-day Stakeholder and Partner Consultative workshop on bird flu at Phils Motel in Lae, Morobe province.
Folks, stay calm until we know more. For Papau New Guinea this will probably be a matter of waiting several days. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.
Seven die in flu and dysentery outbreak
By JAMES KILA
SEVEN people have reportedly died following an alleged outbreak of flu and dysentery in remote Mobutasa village in Obura-Wonenara district, Eastern Highlands province, earlier this week.
According to Obura Wonenara district health officer Justin Wase, the seven deaths were reported by councillor Waipinase Nogiri on Monday.
The councillor walked over rugged terrains and rough gullies to reach Aiyura to report the matter to the district health authorities.
Mr Wase said from Mr Nogiri’s report, seven people had died within two weeks from diseases which had symptoms somewhat associated with flu and dysentery.
Mobutasa is only accessible by air. Although it is close to Aivondi in the Okapa district, it is politically in the Obura Wonenara electorate.
It takes about three days to reach the area from Obura Wonenara. The closest airstrip is also three days away from the village. Mr Wase has reported the matter to the provincial health office in Goroka and has asked for a medical relief team to travel to the area to assess the situation. The National unsuccessfully attempted to get comments from health services director Ben Haili in Goroka.
In his report, Mr Wase said the relatively small population of Mobutasa could be wiped out by the epidemic.
He requested for a chopper to be hired for health officers to travel to the village. Mr Wase said half of the health facilities in the district were accessible only by air. Of these, 60% are owned by the church health service. He added that 65% of the rural aid posts were closed and about 80% of the maternal deaths were not reported. Furthermore, 78% of outreach clinic programmes in the district were not implemented. The report also stated that 85% of rural health facilities were not visited.
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If the bird flu goes “bad” in PNG,we can watch it all we like but we will not be able to halt or contain it.I lived there for a few years and have a rough idea of the primitiveness of the place.Australia,as ever,will rush resources to assist but,given the vast problems that exist in PNG,the “assistance” will be futile.err…sorry ps..but to be fair;if BF goes human to human in a big way,we will all eventually be in the same boat.
I’ve been there….they got planes! We were told to never go back tho, by Mum&Dad. They do have cannibals there tho.
We lived in Goroka.
I loved it…but I was only 5.
We used to just run around and play bows and arrows with our friends there.
Volcanic Isles where you could walk out of the jungle, sand then beach…playing in the water in the shade from the tree’s…….MAGIC!
People used to come in and steal knives and that…leave everything else…but I don’t s’pose we had anything back then. Dad worked there as a research microbiologist on some “Laughing Disease” or something that they got from eating human flesh.
That’s what he told me anyway. Probably just to scare me in to never going back tho.
I’ve asked him about Bird Flu..He doesn’t know what’s gonna happen…but he thinks its serious enough…but it’s not the only concern in the world today.
So, was there any danger of this being Bird Flu?
Blue(tru -blu). Your interest in cannibalism in PNG is clearly related to your degree in social science,anthropology or some such similar degree.Mate.Romping on the beaches?You have never been immobiliised by a stone-fish,have you? End of joke.
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We need more input concerning PNG by our good friends down under. Please post thoughts or information concerning the possibilities of BF development and expansion out of New Guinea.
My husband is currently on his way back from PNG. Yesterday while he was on the plane in Madang an Asian man boarded that was acting funny…walking stiffly with a glazed look. He was heading up the aisle towards the cockpit, so my husband stood up to follow him and as he stood the man collapsed on him, pushing him back in his seat. My husband is an EMT, albeit a senior one (65 yrs)with a volunteer department, so he went into action. The man was very hot and very sick, making gurgling noises. He came around when he was repositioned to clear his airway and then he was taken off the plane. He probably had malaria, but then I suppose the first person with H5N1 who gets on a plane sick will be assumed to have malaria or something else innocuous. The point of the story is that my husband is now in Australia and will be island hopping across the Pacific for the next few days before he arrives home via San Francisco and then on to our mountain hideaway. I think this illustrative of how things could potentially happen with no fanfare just a silent killer wing it’s way across the world.
TwoCents, This is nervewracking. No screening for fever obviously. And your husband, who was potentially exposed by adminstering emergency care, is free to roam the world and possibly spread something. Are you worried? Is your husband?
Edna Mode – at 20:47 “TwoCents, This is nervewracking.”
Double Ditto for me. An excellent example of how ‘IT’ could start.
Hope DH is well. Have you spoken to him since then?
they screened for fever with SARs at airports, if memory serves, why are they not doing this now?
TwoCents – at 19:00
You might suggest to your husband to get to a doctor at the first sign of any fever and ask for Tamiflu, explaining the circumstances in which he found himself exposed to a sick person. In all likelyhood he will be fine and nothing happen. But, if he does start to feel sick then I think he should act quick to get treatment. He probably already knows that, but I wanted to say it nonetheless.
cottontop – at 21:21 If I remember right, It was said here on the Wikie that you were not contagious with SARS until after the fever started. With H5N1 you can spread it 2 to 3 days before you feel any symptoms at all. Screening for fever would be worthless.
My husband is frequently ill after overseas trips to remote areas and has twice been treated in emergency rooms before he can make it home. Usually, it is just traveler’s intestinal roulette taking its toll. However, in the case of this recent escapade the sick man’s fever and generally poor condition is really cause for concern. In addition, this plane originated in Papua New Guinea, where given the nature of the country we could not expect to know of any brewing situation. I guess the point is that there is a whole plane load of people exposed to whatever was ailing the unfortunate fellow traveler, and at this moment they are all dispersed to many different locations. It will be a few days yet before my husband is home, and in the meantime he will be in several large cities as well as the rest of the people on the plane. Again, we hear the potential scenario from public health officials, but I now see it first hand and realize that there is almost no chance of stopping H5N1 or any other potential health disaster before it’s too late
I sure hope he is ok, two cents.
I put a link to here from there Travel/tourism and Business forum yesterday. Probably already been done.
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I have checked both on-line newspapers out of Papua New Guinea and there is no mention of the sickness reported in my October 12 post. That is good news, but it does not necessarily allay my concerns. If this sickness is a pandemic type of disease then we will know about it sooner or later. Hopefully it was just an isolated disease and we will hear of it no more, and the folks it is effecting will get the help they need.
SARS is caused by a coronavirus, which is the type of virus that causes 15–30% of common colds. It’s contagious for 10 days before one becomes ill, and continues to be contagious during the illness.
Without good testing, it’s easy to see how this and H5N1 in humans could look the smae.
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