‘CNMI vulnerable to bird flu outbreak’

The CNMI is vulnerable to the bird flu virus that has affected mostly Southeast Asian countries and the islands could be on the front line of the potential epidemic, according to a ranking Department of Public Health official yesterday.

Division of Public Health medical director Richard Brostrom said the CNMI is prone to the disease due to the proximity of the islands to Southeast Asian countries that are affected by the viral disease like Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam.

In a media briefing at the ongoing 3rd Annual Health and Safety Conference at the World Resort Saipan’s Diamond Hall, Brostrom said that, if such an outbreak occurs, the Commonwealth may be inundated as it has a small hospital to accommodate patients.

He said, though, that DPH is already making that it would be prepared to handle matters, if an outbreak does occur.

So far, Brostrom said, CHC has not received any report of symptoms or cases related to the influenza brought on by the avian flu, which is caused by a member of the Orthomyxoviridae type A virus.

He said the division has been monitoring the avian influenza outbreak for two years now.

Brostrom told labor officers attending the annual conference that the CNMI is doing its best to monitor a possible outbreak on the island, with local veterinarians doing avian surveillance.

The Department of Lands and Natural Resources and veterinarians are monitoring the health of poultry stations in the CNMI and, according to them, no avian outbreaks have been detected so far.

Despite this, Brostrom said that DPH is still faced with the challenge of preventing the virus’s entry into the Commonwealth. He said his office is closely working with agencies and organizations such as the World Health Organization and Epi-Net to monitor the virus infection around the world.

So far, there have been 59 recorded deaths in the world related to the avian flu.

The public hospital is also making it sure that it is a safe place for treatment in case patients are admitted with the disease. Brostrom said negative flow rooms are now prepared, policies for infection control are now updated and enforced and an expansion of the Intensive Care Unit are now underway. He said there are currently four ICU in the hospital, which he believes is not sufficient for the outbreak.

Brostrom said the department is also making sure that it has the ability to diagnose cases as quickly as possible and must ensure that the public is protected from any unnecessary spread.

DPH is now obtaining rapid test kits and equipment to determine the virus’s symptoms. He said they are also closely working with Federal partners for “syndromic surveillance.”

Keeping the hospital open in the midst of a pandemic, said Brostrom, is another challenge but the department is now mapping out disaster plans for the outbreak. He said they are now stockpiling medications for treatment and prevention of the disease.

The DPH is currently constructing a Public Health Quarantine and Isolation facility to protect the public from the spread of the disease. It is also updating the disaster plan to manage patients outside the hospital if such an outbreak occurs.

Typical symptoms for avian flu influenza include a sore throat, fever, cough and muscle aches. There would also be eye infections, pneumonia, acute respiratory distress and other severe and life-threatening complications.

Avian influenza records affecting the United States include outbreaks in Delaware in 2003 and Texas in 2004, the first case reported in the U.S. in 20 years.

Brostrom said the highly pathogenic avian influenza has a human case fatality percentage estimated to be as high as 50 percent.