In her keynote address to the 2nd Annual Micronesia Medical Symposium, Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo called for regional and local leaders and healthcare professionals to take aggressive measures to prepare for a possible onset of Avian flu. During the address on October 14, the Congresswoman described Avian flu as a serious threat, which demands a strong and united response from the Pacific medical and government communities.

“Early strategic planning for an outbreak of avian flu in the region is absolutely critical to protecting the health of all of our citizens. While information is currently scant, we have no time to waste. We must prepare our communities as best we can,” Bordallo said before attendees of the Symposium Friday evening.

“I have seen reports that predict that America has months at most, and possibly only weeks to prepare for the first outbreaks. Due to our geographic proximity to Asia, we can infer that we have even less time,” the Congresswoman added. “We therefore have to establish lines of communication in the days to come so that we are able to assist each other in responding quickly and effectively to protect our citizens and our economies.”

The Avian flu is a new and aggressive strain of influenza which currently has no vaccine. The disease has spread through Asia killing dozens, and has most recently spread to an Eastern European country.

Her call for greater local planning and preparedness comes on the heels of significant international and domestic efforts to prevent further spread of this disease. Congresswoman Bordallo described a recent Department of State meeting to Symposium participants, which hosted representatives of 80 countries to discuss the Avian flu threat.

In Congress, Bordallo explained how her colleagues appropriated $4 billion to the Department of Defense to increase production of Tamiflu, an anti-viral vaccine that is used as a treatment for Avian flu after 48 hours of infection, and reported that legislation has been introduced to help communities intensify efforts to prepare for an outbreak. The Pandemic Preparedness and Response Act, the AVIAN Act, and the Bioshield II Act are three of the bills that address the research, vaccine production, and response planning issues for federal agencies.

Congresswoman Bordallo also took time to describe how progress is being made at the research level to fight this disease. According to the Congresswoman, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recently reported that they have been able to reconstruct the genetic makeup of the Spanish flu, H5N1, which holds promise for the development of a vaccine for this strain of the avian flu.

“This discovery will also help us to better understand the other strains of the influenza virus currently in existence,” Bordallo said.

Despite this success, Congresswoman Bordallo noted that U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) Secretary Michael Leavitt stated that a vaccine that produces an immune response effective against the flu has been developed, but that National Institutes for Health and HHS do not have the capacity to manufacture vaccines. Various efforts are underway, both at the federal level and at research institutions, to accelerate the production of the most promising vaccines, Bordallo told attendees of the Symposium.

“There is concern in Congress that more needs to be done and quickly. The inadequate federal response to Hurricane Katrina has contributed to an overall re-evaluation of the federal capacity to respond to large scale disasters or catastrophic events,” Bordallo said during her keynote address. “A global pandemic could be such an event, lasting anywhere from 12 to 18 months before it is finally brought under control.”

“It is important to know when the avian flu has broken out in a new country and whether the strain is mutating into a form that can be easily passed from birds to humans,” Bordallo told the Symposium, emphasizing that one of the keys to preparedness is the open flow of information from nation to nation and government to government. “Even within our region, the protocols for alerting each island government should be reviewed and updated.”

As significant responsibilities also lie with the region’s medical community; Congresswoman Bordallo directed doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals to be vigilant.

“As medical professionals, your focus would include the scientific early warning signs and the treatments available as well as the best means to contain an outbreak,” she said.

Congresswoman Bordallo also emphasized the importance of governments and medical communities working together to react and respond to potential outbreaks in a coordinated manner.

“As a community, we would need to consider such issues as whether to close schools, quarantine certain areas, or prioritize the vaccination of vulnerable populations. Very serious discussions among regional governments are necessary concerning travel restrictions and food contamination,” Bordallo advised.

In closing her remarks on the Avian flu threat, Congresswoman Bordallo made a strong commitment to working with local officials to prepare and respond to a potential outbreak.

“I will send additional information on the federal preparedness plans to our local leaders and to our health agencies as this information becomes available. You have my commitment to working with you and to providing as much information as I can in the weeks to come to assist you in your efforts,” Congresswoman Bordallo said. “Should an outbreak occur here, you also have my commitment to marshal the necessary federal resources to contain the outbreak.”