Pandemi Flu 1918 Berasal dari China

Grafis Asal Pandemi Flu 1918 (Sumber: National Geographic)

Sebuah artikel menarik dari National Geographic yang menjelaskan tentang sumber wabah (pandemi) flu terbesar di dunia yang terjadi pada tahun 1918 mungkin saja berasal dari China. Adalah sejarawan asal Kanada bernama Mark Humphries yang melakukan penelitian terhadap catatan-catatan sipil dan medis.

The deadly "Spanish flu" claimed more lives than World War I, which ended the same year the pandemic struck. Now, new research is placing the flu's emergence in a forgotten episode of World War I: the shipment of Chinese laborers across Canada in sealed train cars.

Keterlibatan sekutu (Amerika Serikat, Kanada, Inggris, Perancis, dll) pada Perang Dunia I menimbulkan kebutuhan yang besar akan tenaga kerja. Disaat para pemuda menjadi relawan membela negaranya, sektor-sektor pendukung seperti pabrik-pabrik senjata, transportasi, dsb tetap membutuhkan pekerja terampil. Karena itulah negara-negara sekutu mengambil ribuan tenaga kerja dari China.

Selain dari itu disebutkan pula bahwa ada catatan mengenai wabah flu terjadi di China sebelum tahun 1918.

In the new report, Humphries finds archival evidence that a respiratory illness that struck northern China in November 1917 was identified a year later by Chinese health officials as identical to the Spanish flu. 

He also found medical records indicating that more than 3,000 of the 25,000 Chinese Labor Corps workers who were transported across Canada en route to Europe starting in 1917 ended up in medical quarantine, many with flu-like symptoms.

Sehingga ketika wabah tersebut terjadi di Eropa dan Amerika, para imigran China sedikit yang menjadi korban. Ini karena mereka dirasa telah "kebal" daripada para warga Eropa dan Amerika belum memiliki ketahanan dari flu tersebut.

Kita dapat memetik pelajaran berharga dari sejarah ini. Mengantisipasi mobilitas manusia yang saat ini semakin sulit diawasi dan jangan sampai sejarah berulang lagi seperti pada wabah SARS dan flu H1N1.

Flu Burung Kembali, Kami Kembali

Flu burung di Jepang (Sumber: Kyodo News)

Berita mengejutkan datang dari Jepang. Negara maju tersebut mendapatkan kasus flu burung pertamanya sejak tahun 2011 seminggu yang lalu.

Sebenarnya bila mengikuti pemberitaan, maka sejak tahun lalu pun, banyak pula berita tentang munculnya wabah flu burung diantaranya di Vietnam, Thailand dan di negara kita. Namun, kali ini cukup "membangunkan" saya. Karena wabah ini muncul di negara yang menurut saya terkenal tentang keamanan pangannya. Dan bila flu burung muncul di Jepang, saya sangat khawatir dapat pula muncul di negara-negara lain.

Benar adanya, kemarin saya menemukan berita baru bahwa flu burung telah masuk ke Korea Utara. Virus H5N1 tersebut telah menyebabkan kematian sebanyak 46.000 ayam di dua peternakan.

Dua kasus besar di negara-negara yang saya kira akan "aman" terhadap bencana biologis ini. Agar para aparat peternakan kita waspada. Melakukan langkah-langkah seperti pengawasan lalu lintas transportasi dan perdagangan unggas serta screening ketat. Sebuah tugas yang berat mengingat luasnya negara kita, tetapi akan sangat berarti mengingat banyaknya kerugian 8 tahun yang lalu.

Press Release: Anti-bird flu campaign must go on: Komnas FBPI

Jakarta, March 10, 2010, Komnas FBPI – At the end of his tenure, the
Indonesian bird flu coordinating agency urges that the fight against
avian influenza and pandemic response should continue even without its
presence.

The National Committee for Avian Influenza Control and Pandemic
Influenza Preparedness (Komnas FBPI) ends its mandate in March 13,
2010, as stipulated by the 2006 Presidential Regulation on the
establishment of Komnas FBPI.

Komnas FBPI insist that all Indonesians, and those who live in the
country, must remain active in curbing bird flu and responding to the
H1N1 pandemic influenza.

'The story of Komnas FBPI from 2006 to 2010 is the tale about the
dedications of government, private sector, experts, international
partners, and community members in dealing with an infectious disease.
This is the most important lesson for taking actions on any infectious
disease in the future, "said Komnas FBPI Chief Executive Bayu
Krisnamurthi.

On the occasion of National Coordination Meeting on the Handling of
Bird Flu and Pandemic Influenza 2006-2010, Komnas FBPI states that
Indonesia has managed to control the wide spread of H5N1 in Indonesia
and responding to pandemic influenza H1N1. Although already under
control, bird flu virus remains exist and may infect people at any
time.

"The key is we must be able to fight the virus, live healthy and know
how to protect ourselves," he added.

Deputy Chief Executive of Emil Agustiono, adds that the strength built
by the commission would be useful to face any environmental and health
crisis in the future.

Emil explained that the current spread of emerging and reemerging
infectious diseases (EREID's) such as HIV/AIDS, SARS, nipah, rabies,
BSE, West Nile, Ebola, Rift Valley Fever, and anthrax.

"We need to maximize the capital that we have had and still manage to
be an asset to any health disaster in the future."

To support the continuation of the campaign, the national coordinating
meeting recommends that: first, the war against bird flu still needs
to be continued along with fight toward other zoonoses. Therefore,
there is a need to set up the National Committee for Zoonoses Control
(Komnas Zoonosis).

Second, all works of pandemic influenza preparedness and response,
should be taken over by the National Disaster Management Agency
(BNPB).

And lastly, continue promoting the ideas and systematic approach to an
integrated health system, that merge human health, animal health and
environmental health by involving experts from various fields of
science, including social sciences.

National Coordination Meeting was attended by 300 representatives from
ministries and central government agencies, local governments,
international organizations, social organizations and institutions.

Komnas FBPI extends its appreciation to all experts and government
officials who have dedicated themselves in the fight against avian
influenza and pandemic influenza response; the international partners
who work together to build the capacity of response, surveillance and
early detection; the members of the media who help spread prevention
messages and in particular, to the people of Indonesia, who have taken
the initiatives to make Indonesia safer and healthier.

Tanggap Flu Burung!

Take Action Against Bird Flu, Our Hands Prevent Bird Flu!
Be Flu Wise and Flu Care!