The scourge called "Swine Flu"-Did we fail as a nation to prevent this epidemic?

Is the number of Swine Flu deaths reported in India so far really alarming? Rajasthan has already declared it as an epidemic while in other states the severity is much less. Still an average citizen in India has a few concerns about the safety for himself in spite of bland assurances from an insipid government that it does have a handle on the issue and advising him not to panic!  With the death toll mounting each day, how can the citizen be insulated from the ever blaring media reports about the dangers of Swine Flu? How can he be unconcerned about the ineffectiveness and unreliability of government promises and action when no less than the Health Minister of the country could not provide  a satisfactory answer in the Lok Sabha regarding the fate of 35 million dosses of vaccine lying with the government unutilized even when the people need them, at least in vulnerable states ;like Telengana and Rajasthan? What a tragedy! With thousands of brilliant scientists, especially in the area of pathogens-related area willing to help the government, no sincere attempt is being made to channel their skill, expertise and experience in tackling this emerging calamity. Here is a commentary on the on-going situation in the country vis-a-vis Swine Flu epidemic as obtaining now.

Surprisingly, most affected states, barring Rajasthan that has formally declared it an epidemic, are tending to underplay the threat. But the virus is displaying some distinctly odd characteristics this year, foxing experts - hinting at the need for out-of-the-box approaches. The approach of summer normally reduces the intensity of the seasonal flu infection, but has not done so this year. The other peculiarity, noticed and documented in Telangana, is that a sizable proportion of patients who have died due to swine flu belonged to the 17-40 age group. Normally, the H1N1 virus affects children and the aged more. Experts believe that the causative H1N1 virus may have either reasserted itself or mutated to develop added potency. Or, it may be turning less sensitive to anti-viral drugs. Both indications are scary and merit urgent investigation and well-crafted remedial strategies. Apart from these, the limited number of diagnostic laboratories and supply inadequacy of anti-flu drug Tamiflu or its generic version Oseltamivir are coming in the way of checking this virus. Many of the laboratories equipped to test H1N1 virus are charging as much as Rs 10,000 a test. Delhi has now capped charges to Rs 4,500, but few laboratories are observing this ceiling. The number of hospitals and chemists authorised to sell the anti-viral drug is too few to meet the growing demand. The procedure for accessing free medicines from the government outlets is cumbersome and time-consuming. With such being the ground reality, the government's response defies logic. Experts wonder why vaccination, as a preventive measure, is not even being considered although anti-flu vaccination is almost routine in many seasonal flu-endemic countries. An indigenous anti-H1N1 virus vaccine was developed by the Serum Institute of India way back in 2010, but it has remained, by and large, unused. The stocks of the vaccine produced by the institute every year during the flu season have to be destroyed for want of takers, while people are continuing to suffer due to this infection. The government has a duty to act on prevention, before this reaches epidemic status."

Recently one of the experts is reported to have said that Swine Flu would fade away with people developing what he called euphorically as "herd immunity"! This probably means that even if no corrective action is taken, people would develop immunity eventually after a few deaths! What callousness in uttering these words! Though hundreds of our law makers go on frequent foreign jaunts wasting crores of rupees through out the year, no one seems to be interested in observing and absorbing good things around them when they visit a country and behave more like carefree tourists enjoying the company of their families and friends at the expense of the public exchequer.  How they could have missed the way governments elsewhere in the world work to the benefit of their citizens whose life they value above every thing! For example in the US, every year the pathologists track the nature of virus that causes influenza, type them and prepare preventive vaccines well ahead of winter in adequate doses. At each and every public place free shots of this vaccine are given especially to vulnerable groups like children and old people. If accountability is the yardstick to measure efficiency of governance, then the present health minister may have any justification to continue in his post after bungling in this case for which country has already paid with the precious lives of almost 900 people so far!

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

VACCINES FOR MEAT ANIMALS-AWAITING COMMERCIALIZATION

Meat industry is notorious for its vulnerability to dangers from deadly pathogens like Salmonella, virulent E.coli and others. Even if the sanitation regime that is required to keep the carcass free from microbial contamination is scrupulously deployed, the chances of cross contamination is still possible. If at all any sector of food processing faces high risk during its operations, it is the meat industry. Repeated pleas to allow low doses of gamma irradiation for maintaining freedom from pathogens have not yet been heard sympathetically and the risk factor remains as high as ever even to day. Against such a bleak background comes the news about development of vaccines that can be used for protecting animals till slaughter from the dangerous vectors. It is an interesting development that must please the industry to no end. Here is the take on this issue.

"Imperfect" but potentially effective technologies to control foodborne pathogens in beef pre-harvest are now available to government and industry, according to experts at a Nov. 9 meeting on pre-harvest pathogen control convened by the FSIS, the Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service, and the Agricultural Research Service. But can they be usefully implemented? A number of vaccine technologies have demonstrated a significant impact in reducing levels of E. coli 0157 and Salmonella bacteria detected in bovine feces pre-harvest, said Guy Loneragan, PhD, professor of food safety and public health at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, who presented the opening address at the meeting. For example, Epitopix/Pfizer Animal Health's SRP vaccine has shown a 40% to 60% reduction in Salmonella levels in feces in various commercial studies—and even more in so-called "high shedders." "These technologies have repeatable and predictable, if imperfect, efficacy. Even given that imperfect efficacy, if we have broad adoption of these technologies, we can have quite a meaningful public health impact. But how can we develop an environment that fosters their adoption?" The burden cannot be placed solely on producers, Dr. Loneragan said. "We have to find ways to pull these technologies through the system, not just at the packing plant level but at the retail level as well. Retailers need to develop a coordinated plan with packers, suppliers, and producers to share the costs and rewards of these technologies." At the meeting, industry representatives and other experts also suggested that more open testing of the vaccines in the marketplace is needed—and called for the FDA and USDA to expand licensure. "Right now, we have one vaccine that's conditionally licensed," said Dr. Loneragan. "But the conditional license comes with real barriers to adoption, such as a 60-day slaughter withdrawal. If there were a full license for these vaccines, sponsors could do studies that could show support for a shorter withdrawal period, which is much more practical. There has to be a mechanism by which the vaccines can move forward to full licensing and the industry can look at them in a more open and complete way."

One of the drawbacks cited against the vaccines is that they are not 100% effective, the degree of protection being in the range of 40-60%
which raises doubts about their overall impact under field conditions. Besides the conditional approval given to them stipulates that animals cannot be slaughtered for at least 60 days which naturally can put some burden to the industry in maintaining large stocks for long periods. If this work is carried forward there is good possibility that a multi-valent vaccine may emerge eventually that can take care of most predominant pathogens which are causing sleepless nights to the meat industry. In stead of leaving every thing to the industry to near the burden, Government agencies must play an effective supporting role in expediting such developments which will have far reaching benefits to the consumers.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com