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Spain Health Committee Approves 5 Anti-Bird Flu Documents

Posted on: Friday, 11 November 2005, 09:00 CST

Spain health committee approves 5 anti-bird flu documents

MADRID, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- Spain's national health committee has approved five documents on the preventive measures and treatment of bird flu, the Health Ministry said on Thursday.

The committee, known as the National Executive Committee for the Monitoring of Bird Flu, was set up jointly by 11 Spanish ministries.

The Health Ministry said in a statement that bird flu continues to be considered a purely animal health problem.

The approved documents ask health professionals to establish what symptoms people will show when they are infected with bird flu.

Autonomous municipalities must notify the National Epidemiology Center of confirmed or suspicious cases in time, said the documents.

They also define priority groups for vaccination in case a pandemic virus is detected in Spanish territory. Patients in hospital and those suffering from chronic illnesses will receive treatment 48 hours after the first symptom is detected.

The municipalities and the health ministry would take a joint decision on whether an epidemic has started, the statement added.

The new norms also plan for the setting up of health centers, preventative measures for people exposed to infected birds and the printing of health guides for Spanish citizens who travel abroad.

The deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu virus has killed at least 63 people in Asia since it was first detected in 2003. Most of the deaths are linked to direct contact with infected birds.

This week, Vietnam reported that a 35-year-old man from Hanoi, who died on Oct. 29, tested positive for the H5N1 strain of bird flu.

Source: Xinhua News Agency - CEIS

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