Avian and Pandemic Influenza

In mid-October, Secretary Mike Leavitt led a combined U.S. and international delegation of health experts on a 10-day, 5-nation trip to Southeast Asia. The purpose of the trip was to learn from countries that have first-hand experience in dealing with avian influenza, to emphasize to them the importance of timely sharing of information in fighting the disease, and to determine the best use of our resources abroad to protect Americans here at home.

The delegation learned a number of critical lessons:

International cooperation is absolutely essential; if there is an outbreak anywhere, there is risk everywhere.
Surveillance, transparency, and timely sharing of information are critical. Our ability to slow or stop the spread of a pandemic to our shores is dependent upon early warning of an outbreak
We must strengthen preparedness and response capabilities in the Asian countries.

The delegation concluded that Pandemic preparation must be both short-term and long-term. There is no way to know if the current bird flu virus, H5N1, will set off a pandemic, but we do know that there have been three pandemics in the last 100 years, and we can expect there will be more. Today we are preparing for the possibility of H5N1. But even if that does not set off a pandemic, we must prepare for the next virus that can.

Thailand
[original = 64K]	10/10/05 - HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt tours a private chicken farm outside of Bangkok, Thailand. Photo credit: U.S. Embassy-Bangkok.


[original = 44K]	10/10/05 - HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt confers with Thai Minister of Health Suchai during a press conference at the United Nations facility in Bangkok, Thailand. Photo credit: U.S. Embassy-Bangkok.


[original = 68K]	10/10/05 - HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt speaks at a press conference in Bangkok, Thailand. Top HHS officials are currently visiting countries impacted by the avian flu in Southeast Asia.


[original = 92K]	10/10/05 - HHS Secretary Leavitt, Thai Minister of Public Health Suchai and WHO Director General Dr. J.W. Lee speak to reporters at the United Nations facility in Bangkok, Thailand.


[original = 78K]	10/10/05 - HHS Secretary Leavitt, Thai Minister of Public Health Suchai and WHO Director General Dr. J.W. Lee speak to reporters at the United Nations facility in Bangkok, Thailand.


[original = 40K]	10/10/05 - NIAID Director Dr. Tony Fauci speaks during a press conference in Bangkok, Thailand. Photo credit: U.S. Embassy-Bangkok.


[original = 33K]	10/10/05 - CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding takes a question at a press conference in Bangkok, Thailand. Photo credit: U.S. Embassy-Bangkok.


[original = 89K]	10/10/05 - HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt and CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding celebrate 25 years of collaboration with the Thai Ministry of Public health.


[original = 58K]	10/11/05 - HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt tours a private chicken farm outside of Bangkok, Thailand. Photo credit: U.S. Embassy-Bangkok.


[original = 72K]	10/11/05 - HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt puts gear on before entering facilities on a commercial poultry farm in rural Thailand.


[original = 72K]	10/11/05 - Secretary Leavitt prepares to observe biosecurity measures in place to protect chickens at a commercial farm in the Saraburi province of Thailand.


[original = 77K]	10/11/05 - Flanked by WHO Director General Dr. J.W. Lee and NIAID Director Dr. Tony Fauci, HHS Secretary Leavitt speaks to reporters after vising a commercial poultry farm in the Saraburi province of Thailand.


[original = 74K]	10/11/05 - Secretary Leavitt, Dr. Gerberding, Dr. Lee of WHO and Dr. Fauci speak with the press following a visit to a large Thai chicken farm.


[original = 60K]	10/11/05 - The HHS delegation speaks with staff and observes biosecurity measures at a rural Thai farm.




Cambodia
[original = 72K]	10/12/05 - Secretary Leavitt confers with the King of Cambodia.


[original = 80K]	10/12/05 - Secretary Mike Leavitt toasts the Cambodian health minister after signing a memorandum of understanding in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.




Laos
[original = 88K]	10/12/05 - HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt is greeted at the Lao airport, his third stop on a 10-day tour of Southeast Asian countries impacted by avian flu.


[original = 68K]	10/12/05 - HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt speaks at a press conference in Vientiane, Laos.


[original = 69K]	10/12/05 - Secretary Mike Leavitt speaks with the Lao health minister.


[original = 75K]	10/13/05 - HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt speaks with a woman who sells livestock in Vientiane, Laos


[original = 61K]	10/13/05 - Secretary Mike Leavitt takes a break while touring a duck and fish market area of Vientiane, Laos.


[original = 69K]	10/13/05 - A local fisherman teaches HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt to fish in Vientiane, Laos.


[original = 72K]	10/13/05 - HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt speaks to merchants in a wet market in Vientiane, Laos.


[original = 82K]	10/13/05 - Secretary Leavitt is welcomed to Mahoset Hospital in Vientiane, Laos.


[original = 90K]	10/13/05 - HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt with the Prime Minister of Laos discussing the avian flu impact on that nation.


[original = 87K]	10/13/05 - HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt with Lao Minister of Health after signing a memorandum of understanding on avian flu.


[original = 89K]	10/13/05 - HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt with Lao Minister of Health after signing a memorandum of understanding on avian flu.




Vietnam
[original = 90K]	10/14/05 - Secretary Mike Leavitt signs the Letter of Intent with the Vietnamese health minister.


[original = 48K]	10/14/05 - A doctor provides HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt with a tour of lab facilities at the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology in Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo credit: Allyson Bell.

Last revised: October 24, 2005

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