Florida is not immune from Avian Flu

The Florida Legislature has failed to include funding for medicine to fight bird flu...when they do, will it be too late?

As Avian Flu is being closely monitored the world over, the world waits. Will the sickness be transmitted human-to- human? Nervous health officials all across the globe are concerned the H5N1 virus might turn into a strain that kills people on a widespread basis.

>>In Lagos, Nigeria, 11 people were tested H5N1 strain of bird flu, according to the Voice of America (VOA) on April 21. They had symptoms of the disease after coming into contact with a woman who died from the disease two months earlier.

>>On May 4, U.S. Government officials issued advice about face mask use if a bird flu pandemic reaches our shores. The Director of the Centers for Disease Control, Dr. Julie Gerberding, was reported by the VOA to confirm the U.S. "is stockpiling millions of masks and respirators for health workers to use during a major flu outbreak."

>>According to Reuters AlertNet.org on May 4, 170 people have died from Avian influenza virus across the globe since 2003. While bird flu has not been found in the United States, it may be only a matter of time. When it hits, Alaska may be the first state to get it, given its proximity to migratory bird patterns. But illegal smuggling of imported birds can introduce the deadly flu anywhere, including the eastern seaboard of the U.S.

>>As millions of birds are being devastated in other countries, officials are worried that if the strain mutates, it could kill millions of people in a short period of time. While bird flu has initially impacted 50 nations and taken its greatest toll on bird populations, it is not going away. According to AlertNet, "The current outbreak, which originated in southeast Asia in 2003, has spread to the Middle East, Europe, South Asia and Africa." Reuters reports that while most human deaths from the disease were caused by human-bird contact, some scientists suspect there have been a few cases of person-to-person transmission of the disease. Developing countries are most immediately at risk, because of their inability to prepare for a human bird flu pandemic with antiviral medications and vaccines.

>>In its special coverage on the influenza outbreak, AlertNet reported on May 5 that human deaths from the disease have occurred in Azerbaijan, Cambodia, China, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Nigeria, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam. More than 30 countries, it reports, have reported outbreaks affecting birds. The emergency news site also reports the H5N1 virus "kills around half the people it infects. Many of those who have died were under 25." According to the World Health Organization, the virus does not yet travel easily between humans. But that could change, and the results could be disastrous since humans do not have immunity to H5N1.

Clearly, it is unknown in human-to-human transmission will ever become a widespread problem. It could be tomorrow's next headline, or never materialize. Those monitoring the situation believe some sort of new pandemic is likely to hit the world, and is overdue. If the pandemic is mutated Avian Flu, we must be ready.

It's not like influenza pandemics never happened before. Three such waves of disease have struck the globe in just the past 100 years. The 1918 outbreak killed between 20 and 100 million people, according to AlertNet. That devastating virus has similarities to the current H5N1 strain. The World Health Organization, it is noted, estimates that even a mild outbreak of human transmission could create between 2,000,000 to 7,400,000 fatalities worldwide. One Australian think tank believes a serious outbreak could kill up to 140,000,000 people. The economic consequences alone are unimaginable.

That brings us to Florida, where the new governor, Charlie Crist, wisely worries about Avian Flu. In a May 4 article in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, he asked the State Legislature for $35 million to buy enough medicine to help at least 25 percent of the population of the state in the event of an avian flu pandemic. The response? The Legislature ended its regular session on May 4 without providing the funding in the state budget. The Sun-Sentinel reports, "That makes the state ineligible to participate in a federal program that provides the drugs at a reduced cost," and "according to federal officials, Florida is the only state not signed up for the program."

That's right, the only state. Unless action is taken soon, the anti-viral drugs needed in Florida will be absent. Should H5N1 mutate, it could be too late, and the population of the Sunshine State may suffer what developing countries fear, an inability to respond to a major health crisis.

According to the Miami Herald on May 3, Florida lawmakers left $1.3 billion dollars out of the budget and in reserve to deal with any fiscal problems next year. That's fine, but if H5N1 mutates to a widespread human threat, it could do so without waiting for Tallahassee to meet and fund anti-viral drugs to address the challenge. By that time, there could be scarce supply of the needed drugs. In the meantime, life will be endangered by the inaction of the 2007 Florida Legislature.

Governor Crist is absolutely correct. Action needs to be taken now. Florida needs to participate in all available governmental and private efforts to prepare for the disease, as it is not immune to the dangers posed by a pandemic of this nature. The next regular session of the Florida Legislature is in March, 2008. The Governor needs to stand his ground and add this issue in any special sessions of the lawmakers...this year. There is a special session coming up in June. Late funding for the anti-virals requested by the Governor may mean smaller supplies for Florida when, and if, needed. The public health, safety and welfare is at stake. The message is clear. Lawmakers-get back to Tallahassee and get the job done.

Are we too "chicken" to address sound public health planning while the entire world is gearing up to stop this threat? If the federal government, and all the other state governments are gearing up...why is Florida burying its head in the sand on such an important health issue?

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