[Editorial] A Thorough and Calm Response to Bird Flu

The government issued a nationwide bird flu alert on Friday, and has decided to implement comprehensive measures related to preventing bird flu's arrival and the prevention of an epidemic. The government is doing the right thing in acting quickly to deal with the bird migration season, a main infection route, at a time when there is increasing concern about the disease spreading around the world. World Health Organization Director General Lee Jong Wook, in Seoul on Friday, said the government's measures are an "excellent example" and that is a little assuring. However, it started in Asia and has now spread to Turkey, the gateway of Europe, and it is becoming more likely that a variant could start spreading among people. Korea experienced the disease only two years ago and is very much a nation at risk, so the country's response must have no holes in it.

Once infectious diseases penetrate a society they get out of control. The government has to join with North Korea, which compared to the South has a weak prevention system, and actively work together on this. There urgently needs to be action on increasing quarantine sickbeds, something that is noted as a problem. Securing a treatment for the disease is important, but there needs to be much more investment in the development of a preventive vaccine and facilities to produce it. The medicine that exists either lessens the symptoms or retards them, and the shortcut to preventing the disease's spread will be providing a vaccine as early as possible.

Inciting vague fears does not help. Already they say that chicken and duck farms are seeing shipping less to market and processing companies are losing a lot in sales. The discovery of lead in Chinese gimchi already had the country very worried about the state of their meal tables, and there was already concern about how events would hurt the poultry industry. It was just the other day when there were "eat samgyetang" events and other campaigns to save poultry farms. Right now the country needs accurate information about and a composed response to bird flu.

The Hankyoreh, 15 October 2005.

[Translations by Seoul Selection (PMS)]