Panama Trains Bird Flu Detection and Response Teams

By Eric Montenegro for La Critica - Seven "fast response" teams equipped to deal with the possibility of the arrival of a Bird Flu pandemic have been trained and installed around the Western sector of the province of Panama. The teams are comprised of general medicine doctors, veterinary doctors, medical technologists, nurses and personnel from the National Environmental Authority and the Ministry of Farming Development. (Comments Follow)

Editor's Comment: Every year at about this time, right when summer is ending and autumn is starting up in the United States, here in Panama scientists, health technicians, and medical specialists whose job it is to track the spread of Avian Flu (HN51) start looking North. Every year literally millions of birds fly down to (and through) Panama from the Northern latitudes in search of warmer climes, breeding grounds, and food. And with them they bring the possibility of spreading Avian (or Bird) Flu. The risk to Panama increases starting right about now and remains until Spring when the birds fly back up North. For the most part cases of human infections of Bird Flu have been limited to Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, but specialists fear the eventual world wide spread of the virus. In any case, if you came to Panama to feel safe from the possibility of a Bird Flu outbreak, you literally could not have picked a worse spot. Migrating birds have a tendency to follow coastlines and therefore they "bottleneck" when they reach narrow Panama. The good news is that although specialists fear the eventual spread of Bird Flu to North and South America, but it has not happened yet. If and when HN51 does spread to North America, it will almost certainly effect Panama when it does thanks to the annual bird migration.

Instalan equipos para prevenir Influenza Aviar

Eric Montenegro | Panamá Oeste, Crítica en Línea

Siete equipos de respuesta rápida, para hacer frente a los eventos derivados de una pandemia de Influenza Aviar, fueron instalados en la Región de Salud,

En Panamá Oeste, los equipos están conformados por médicos generales, veterinarios, tecnólogos médicos, enfermeras y personal de la Autoridad Nacional del Ambiente y del Ministerio de Desarrollo Agropecuario.