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  Channel NewsAsia 21 Dec 05
 Various animal diseases turned Singapore into hot zone for infections
By Hasnita A Majid, Channel NewsAsia

SINGAPORE : From dengue to bird flu - zoonotic diseases or animal diseases that can be transmitted to humans had the Singapore's health system in a hot zone throughout the year.

There is a saying - birds of a feather flock together. And perhaps therein lies the problem - as birds infected with the H5N1 virus can easily pass the disease to other birds.

Thought to be riding on migratory birds, the avian flu surfaced in countries in the region and later in other parts of the world, prompting the culling of millions of poultry.

What's worse, the virus also infected more humans this year, causing 68 deaths in Asia. This raised fears that the H5N1 virus could merge with the human flu virus, resulting in a mutation of an influenza virus that could kill millions worldwide.

"We still do not have an efficient human to human transmission. But as long as the current situation continue - with the large outbreaks in poultry and the continuous human cases - the risk of pandemic is increasing," warned Dr Hitoshi Oshitani, regional advisor of Communicable Disease Surveillance and Response with the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Authorities also tightened rules on importing exotic birds, as well as checking for samples of avian flu in migratory birds here and those at the Jurong Bird Park.

With no quick fix in sight, WHO advised that countries develop a national pandemic preparedness plan, including stockpiling the antiviral drug Tamiflu. Taking no chances, Singapore too brought in Tamiflu and Relenza. Human flu jabs were also encouraged for those travelling.

Besides the avian flu, dengue fever also made the headlines. With temperatures soaring to highs of 35 degree Celsius, so did dengue infections as the female mosquito became infective faster and bred easier in hot weather.

This prompted the government to wage an all-out war against dengue with the setting up of an inter-ministerial committee. A dedicated hotline was also set up to report and destroy potential breeding grounds.

Mild chicken pox cases also made way for dengue patients as hospitals stopped non-emergency operations to cope with dengue cases. Despite the measures, 19 people still died from dengue-related illnesses - an all-time high.

Singapore also waged war against HIV/Aids. From just one infected person in 1985, this year saw a total of more than 2,800 infected with HIV resulting in a multi-pronged approach to curb the numbers from increasing. Self-test HIV kits were also made available at GP clinics and polyclinics.

Also in the news was the opening of Singapore's first desalinated water plant, bringing Singapore a step closer towards self-sufficiency. A fully-owned subsidiary of Hyflux, the desalination plant can produce 30 million gallons of water a day.

Other initiatives this year include extending the ban on smoking to include public areas like bus-stops and taxi queues, expanding the Medisave, Medishield and Medifund framework to provide better insurance coverage for those with large hospital bills. - CNA /ls
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Related articles on Singapore: general environment issues, Singapore: dengue and bird flu
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