Sat, Feb 11 2012

TO THE EDITOR: Bird flu pandemic inevitable

Mon, Sep 24 2007 09:00 CET 530 Views

Sir

Although there are a multitude of problems that the UK and the world-at-large face in the future, there is no more serious a threat to human life than a future bird flu pandemic.

Countries have been stockpiling Tamiflu in the hope that this drug will save the lives of literally hundreds of millions when the pandemic comes, for as history has shown, it is an inevitability.

Unfortunately for humans, research just released by the CSIRO Division of Molecular and Health Technologies in Australia has shown that Oseltamivir (the drug of choice for treating infected persons) and the main constituent of Tamiflu, is showing a declining sensitivity to the disease by as much as 60-fold reduced effectiveness - (Emerging Infectious Diseases - EID Journal ,Volume 13, Number 9-September 2007 - Dispatch: `Reduced Sensitivity of Influenza A (H5N1) to Oseltamivir').

These scientific facts have immense implications and ramifications for the predominant use of Tamiflu in stopping human deaths on an unprecedented scale.

Therefore we say again as a global institution, that there is no immunisation cure for humans, far from it.

Our only hope therefore is that Gordon Brown and other leaders of nations around the world takes on board the fundamental thinking of Professor Kennedy Shortridge before it is literally too late. For as we have stated before, Professor Shortridge is the person who undeniably stopped the pandemic occurring out of Hong Kong in 1987 and where he was the first person to recognise that bird flu had jumped into the human chain. We have asked previously through the press some two months ago that Gordon Brown requests Professor Shortridge to Downing Street immediately so that the prime minister can understand this life-saving strategy, which will in all eventuality, prevent such a global catastrophe happening. It is hoped therefore that Gordon Brown will see the sense in this before time literally runs out for us all, for no other treatment or present means will stop this vast killer disease once it has started, Tamiflu included - even politicians should be alarmed to know that this is the case.

Dr. David Hill
World Innovation Foundation Charity
Bern, Switzerland

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