H1N1 VIRUS FOUND IN TURKEYS POSES NO THREAT TO HUMAN HEALTH, SAYS UN AGENCY

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said today that the detection of the H1N1 flu in turkeys in Chile does raise concerns about the spread of the virus in other poultry farms, but added that it does not pose any immediate threat to human health.

According to a news release issued by the Rome-based agency, Chilean authorities reported on 20 August that an identical H1N1 strain to the one currently circulating among humans worldwide was present in turkeys in two farms near the seaport of Valparaiso.

The agency stated, however, that the discovery does not pose any immediate threat to human health and turkey meat can still be sold commercially following veterinary inspection and hygienic processing.

"The reaction of the Chilean authorities to the discovery of H1N1 in turkeys – namely prompt reporting to international organizations, establishing a temporary quarantine, and the decision to allow infected birds to recover rather than culling them – is scientifically sound," said FAO's interim Chief Veterinary Officer, Juan Lubroth.

"Once the sick birds have recovered, safe production and processing can continue. They do not pose a threat to the food chain," he added.

Chile is now the fourth country where the H1N1 virus has been found to have been transmitted from farm workers showing flu-like illness to animals, with swine becoming infected in Canada, Argentina and, most recently, Australia.

FAO noted that the current H1N1 virus strain, although contagious, is no more deadly than common seasonal flu viruses. But it could theoretically become more dangerous if it combines with H5N1 – commonly known as avian flu – which is much more deadly but harder to pass along among humans.

The agency is encouraging improved monitoring of health among animals and ensuring that hygienic and good farming practice guidelines are followed, including protecting farm workers if animals are sick and not allowing sick workers near animals.
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UN HEALTH AGENCY ADVISES SOUTH-EAST ASIAN NATIONS IN FIGHT AGAINST A(H1N1) VIRUS

The United Nations health agency is providing practical information and technical expertise to countries in South-East Asia to help reduce panic and encourage prevention against the influenza A(H1N1) virus, which has already claimed over 80 lives in the region and continues to spread.

"It is important to remember that Member States in South-east Asia have been preparing for pandemic influenza for years and that preparedness could help them with the current pandemic," said Samlee Plianbangchang, Regional Director for the World Health Organization (WHO).

WHO is assisting countries in the region to strengthen surveillance, laboratory capacity, anti-viral and vaccine production and distribution, and information for the public, she added.

The agency reiterated the need to promote practices such as frequent hand-washing and covering the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing
to prevent the spread of the virus, which has now been reported in over 170 countries and territories worldwide.

As of 6 August, the virus had affected over 11,400 people in South-East Asia and led to at least 83 deaths.

Among other issues, the agency noted that in general, identifying sick students and keeping them at home is more beneficial than school closures. In addition, it stressed that the use of surgical face masks is recommended only for patients and health-care workers.

WHO has transferred technology and development funds to vaccine manufacturers in the region, including Serum Institute of India, Biopharma (Indonesia) and GPO (Thailand), which together have the capacity to produce some 220 million doses of a vaccine annually.

In a bid to reassure the public after concerns were raised in the media, the agency stated earlier this month that the rush to produce a vaccine to fight the spread of the influenza A(H1N1) virus will not jeopardize the safety or effectiveness
of any new drug.

To have the greatest impact, vaccines need to be available quickly and in large quantities as they are among the most effective medical interventions for reducing illness and deaths during a pandemic, it added.

WHO calculates that completing the steps involved in developing a new vaccine from start -- obtaining a virus sample -- to finish, when the first supplies of the approved vaccine available for use, takes around five to six months.
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EXPEDITING VACCINE FOR INFLUENZA A(H1N1) WILL NOT JEOPARDIZE SAFETY – UN AGENCY

The rush to produce a vaccine to fight the spread of the influenza A(H1N1) virus will not jeopardize the safety or effectiveness of any new drug, the United Nations health agency said today in a bid to reassure the public after concerns were raised in the media.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the "regulatory procedures in place for the licensing of pandemic vaccines, including procedures for expediting regulatory approval, are rigorous and do not compromise safety or quality controls."

To have the greatest impact, vaccines need to be available quickly and in large quantities as they are among the most effective medical interventions for reducing illness and deaths during a pandemic, WHO said in a news release.

In preparation for a flu outbreak in 2007, WHO examined ways to fast-track the approval of pandemic vaccines with the help of health officials, regulatory authorities and vaccine manufacturers.

The agency sought to shorten the time between the emergence of a pandemic virus and the availability of safe and effective vaccines, while maintaining regulatory control and setting out in detail precautions to guarantee the quality, safety, and effectiveness of the drugs.

WHO noted that in some cases, vaccines are not regarded by regulatory authorities as entirely new, as they build on existing technology used to produce inoculations for seasonal influenza, procedures for testing and regulatory control, and safety data.

It stressed that flu vaccines have been used for more than 60 years and have an established record of safety in all age groups, and although some serious adverse effects have been reported. WHO said they are rare and expected during a pandemic when a vaccine is administered on a massive scale.

"Time constraints mean that clinical data at the time when pandemic vaccines are first administered will inevitably be limited," said WHO. "Further testing of safety and effectiveness will need to take place after administration of the vaccine has begun."

WHO calculates that completing the steps involved in developing a new vaccine from start – obtaining a virus sample – to finish, when the first supplies of the approved vaccine available for use, takes around five to six months.
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INFLUENZA A(H1N1) INFECTIONS TOP 2,000 WITH 44 DEATHS, REPORTS UN AGENCY

INFLUENZA A(H1N1) INFECTIONS TOP 2,000 WITH 44 DEATHS, REPORTS UN AGENCY
New York, May 7 2009 3:00PM
The number of people infected with the influenza A(H1N1) virus has topped 2,000, the United Nations health agency confirmed today, stressing that although symptoms for the vast majority of the cases are mild, there is no room for complacency.

The World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html">WHO) noted that its international pandemic alert remains at phase 5, on a six-level warning scale, as the number of laboratory confirmed cases rises to 2,099 – up by 441 from yesterday – including 44 deaths.

As of 06:00 GMT today, 23 countries reported influenza A(H1N1) infection, with Mexico containing 1,112 cases and 42 deaths, and the United States verifying 642 cases and two deaths.

"We continue to see human-to-human transmission – community level transmission – primarily in North America," said WHO Assistant Director-General Keiji Fukuda at the agency's daily update in Geneva.

"We are not seeing it yet anywhere else," he said, explaining the decision to maintain the pandemic alert level at phase 5.

Mr. Fukuda warned that the situation is still evolving and "we really don't understand how things are going to go in the future."

Important questions remain over the spread of the flu from the northern hemisphere and whether it will become more dangerous over time than it is now. If the outbreak were to hit pandemic proportions, it would be reasonable to estimate a third of the world's population would be infected, warned Mr. Fukuda.

Even when on an individual basis illness for most people is relatively mild, if the numbers of infected are multiplied on a pandemic scale, the number of deaths will increase, he cautioned.

WHO also reiterated that people have not been infected by the influenza A(H1N1) virus through eating processed pork or other food products derived from pigs.
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