Six phases of swine flu pandemic

The WHO has six phases of pandemic alert to access the potential for new global flu outbreak.

Phase 1:
There are no viruses circulating in animals that have been reported to cause infections in humans.

Phase 2:
An animal flu virus has caused infections in human in the past and is considered to be a potential pandemic threat.

Phase 3:
An animal or mixed animal-human virus has caused occasional cases or small clusters of disease, but the virus does not spread easily.

Phase 4:
The new virus can cause sustained outbreaks and is adapting itself to human spread (April 28, 2009).

Phase 5:
The virus has spread into at least two countries and is causing even bigger outbreaks (April 30, 2009)

Phase 6:
Outbreaks in at least two regions of the world; the pandemic is under way.

From fossil fuel to bioenergy

Biomass power from waste wood

MES group works comprehensively on biomass power plant from construction, operation and maintenance of the plant to supply control of fuel

Biomass power generation

This plant is to generate electricity firing fuel made from demolished house wood and house organic waste, etc. In Japan about 330 biomass generation plants are in operation at the end of October 2008.

Green Power Ichihara Co. Ltd. An MES’s subsidiary company, constructed biomass power plant in the premises of Chiba Works of MES aiming to mainly use demolished house wood together with refuse paper and plastic fuel (RPF) gathered from Tokyo metropolitan and its surrounding prefectures.

Power generation capacity of the plant is 49,900 kW and power transmission capacity is 43,800 kW, which are the largest scale in Japan as the biomass generation plant. The wood chip fuel and RPF are supplied by recycle Sources Company, established by MES and New Energy Supply Company, under supply control where temporary storage as necessary and timely supply of the fuel are made.

Approx. 350 thousand tons of CO2 (equivalent to about 100 thousand kl of crude oil) can be decreased in a year by this power plant.

The fuels for the biomass power plant

As mentioned above the fuels are recycled wood chips and RPF. The wood chips are made from demolished houses and wood remainder materials after lumbering by refining removing impurities. Other fuel used is RPF. It is the high-calorie solid fuel made from waste paper and plastics, which are difficult to be recycled to paper and plastic.

Biogas, electricity, heat source, liquid manure, etc. from human excreta, garbage, etc.

MES had been tackling the development of disposal plant for human excreta, sludge from the waste water treatment facility, household garbage, etc. for several decades, and has constructed many plants in the past. In the recent years in line with the enhancement of social consciousness for preservation of environment, such treatment facilities to be newly constructed are changing from mere treatment facility to the facility to the recycle such waste to valuable things as biogas, electricity, heat resource, fertilizer, etc.

One of such facility is recently constructed in Oki Town, Fukuoka Prefecture in western part of Japan. The facility named “Oki Recycling Center Kururun” was born as a Framework for Biomass Town, availing subsidy of the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. In this facility human excreta, sludge from waste water treatment and household garbage are mixed and fermented to make liquid manure, which is recycled to farmland. Further, biogas made in the process of fermentation is utilized to generate power to be used for the electricity required for operation of the facility.

Biogas, electricity, heat source, manure from garbage

Another plant MES would like to introduce is the waste treatment facility named “Recyclean” constructed in Nakasorachi, Hokkaido, located in the northern part of Japan. This plant is largest class garbage disposal facility in Japan and can treat 55 tons (nominal capacity) of garbage gathered from 40 thousand households and offices in the Nakasorachi area in a day. The garbage is fermented to biogas to be used for power generation and as boiler fuel. The electricity made is used for operation of the facility and the surplus electricity is sold to electricity Company. Further, heat produced by generator and boiler is used to heat methane fermentation tank and road heating. In addition, sludge after methane fermentation can be utilized as the high quality farmyard manure, since the gathered garbage in collecting bags is made to pure garbage by removing the collecting bags and metal materials in the preliminary treatment process.

Source: MES Bulletin 64, 2009

Basic questions and answers about swine flu

The swine-avian-human flu outbreak in Mexico has killed more than 100 people and sparked a worldwide panic. Around 20 people in the United State, others in Canada, Europe, New Zealand and Israel are also suspected of being infected with the new strain.

Although no infections have been reported in Japan, according to the Health, Labor and welfare Ministry, there is concern that the country is unprepared, having instead braced for new type of seasonal influenza and bird flu. Following are basic questions and answers about swine flu:

What is swine flu?

According to World Health Organization (WHO), swine flu is an acute respiratory disease caused by a strain of influenza virus A type. Many countries regularly vaccinate pigs, which suffer outbreaks throughout the year. Normally, only pigs are infected by the virus; however, humans have been infected in some countries before, including the United State and Spain.

How do people become infected?

The influenza can be passed to people by direct contact with infected pigs. Human- to-human transmission cases are limited to close contact and closed groups of people, according to the WHO.

The health ministry reported that, just as with seasonal influenza, direct contact with infected people, including exposure to their airborne cough or sneeze discharges, can lead to infection.

Can people get infected by eating pork and pork products?

According to the WHO, swine flu is not transmitted to human trough eating pork that is properly handled and well cooked, or other processed food derived from pigs. The virus is killed by a cooking temperature of 70 degree C.

What are human symptoms of swine flu?

As with other types of flu, symptoms can include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, diarrhea, nausea and respiratory tract inflammation. According to the WHO, symptoms can vary widely and in some cases lead to pneumonia resulting in death.

Is there vaccine can protect people from swine flu?

There are no known vaccines to prevent infection. According to the WHO, it is not known if the current seasonal human vaccines can provide protection.

What drugs are recommended for treatment?

According to the WHO, Tamiflu and Zanamivir are recommended for treatment in the United States and Mexico. But no particular antiviral drugs are recommended to prevent infection.

What protective steps should be taken?

The health ministry advises people who travel to Mexico to wear a mask to prevent infection through coughs and sneezes. They should also wash their hands often and gargle, and consult a local doctor when flu symptoms such as a fever or cough occur.

Has travel to Mexico been banned?

The Foreign Ministry has not banned trips to Mexico or issued travel warnings to people planning to visit the country. However ministry urges people to consider putting off going until the epidemic has abated.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday (April 27, 2009) raised the pandemic swine flu alert level from phase 3 to 4, two levels below the declaration of a full pandemic. The elevated alert means there has been sustained human-to-human transmission of the new A/H1N1 swine flu virus and that scientists now believe government efforts should focus on slowing the spread of the virus rather than containing it at its source.

Source: Japan Times, April 28, 2009

Vaksinasi Rabies Secara Serempak di Meguro, Tokyo

Populasi anjing kesayangan di Jepang pada tahun 2008 sekitar 9.650.000 (www.mapsoftworld). Dalam satu keluarga Jepang tidak jarang yang memiliki anjing kesayangan lebih dari seekor. Mereka selain memelihara dengan menyiapkan tempat, peralatan dan makanan yang tidak sedikit biayanya, mereka juga terbiasa meluangkan waktunya disela-sela kesibukannya berjalan bersama anjing kesayangannya di pagi hari atau di petang hari.

Jepang salah satu Negara yang bebas penyakit Rabies, tetapi Jepang tetap melaksanakan program vaksinasi Rabies. Di Jepang terdapat peraturan yang mewajibkan setiap pemilik hewan kesayangan anjing mendaftarkan anjingnya sekali dalam seumur hidup anjing dan memvaksin anjingnya terhadap penyakit anjing gila (Rabies) antara bulan April dan Juni sekali dalam setahun. Jika penduduk memiliki anjing berumur lebih dari 90 hari, diwajibkan untuk memvaksinkan anjingnya tehadap penyakit rabies sekali dalam setahun dan menyimpan sertifikat vaksinasi yang diterima.

Untuk di kota Meguro, Tokyo akan diselenggarakan vaksinasi secara serempak yang akan dilakukan pada tanggal 13 – 17 April 2009 bertempat di 24 rumah sakit hewan yang tersebar di kota Meguro yang tergabung dalam asosiasi dokter hewan Meguro. Vaksinasi serempak terhadap rabies untuk anjing ini dilaksanakan oleh pemerintahan daerah kota Meguro, Tokyo. Selama lima hari tersebut penduduk Meguro dapat memperoleh pelayanan vaksinasi Rabies untuk anjingnya dan pada saat itu juga langsung memperoleh sertikat vaksinasi.

Bagi mereka yang telah mendaftarkan anjingnya pada bulan Pebruari,pada rumah sakit hewan ditempat lain diharapkan mendaftar ulang untuk memperoleh sertifikat lagi dengan membawa sertifikat vaksinasi rabies yang diterbitkan oleh rumah sakit hewan lain dan membayar biaya penerbitan sertifikat 550 yen. Pendaftaran dilakukan di Pusat Kesenahatan Masyarakat Himonya, atau di Tempat Pelayanan Chiku daerah masing-masing.

Sebelum anjing dibawa ke rumah sakit untuk divaksinasi, anjing disiapkan dalam keadaan bersih dan dibawakan tas untuk menyimpan kotoran apabila anjingnya buang kotoran diperjalanan. Bagi mereka yang dapat membawa anjingnya dengan mudah diharuskan membawa anjingnya ke rumah sakit hewan. Apabila anjingnya tempak sakit, dianjurkan untuk berkonsultasi dengan dokter hewan terlebih dahulu sebelum anjingnya divaksinasi.

Penduduk Meguro yang mengikuti vaksinasi serempak ini cukup mempersiapkan uang sebanyak 3.000 yen untuk biaya vaksinasi dan 550 yen untuk biaya penerbitan sertifikat vaksinasi.

Menurut salah satu dokter hewan Jepang senior Itoh Osamu, DVM., bahwa ada tiga program penting yang perlu tetap dilaksanakan untuk mempertahankan negara atau wilayah berstatus bebas terhadap penyakit Rabies yaitu : 1) terus melaksanakan pendaftaran / pendataan semua anjing kesayangan; 2) melaksanakan program vaksinasi Rabies secara rutin; dan 3) melaksanakan program pengendalian hewan kesayangan anjing yang tidak bertuan. Memang tampak sederhana tetapi hal ini merupakan tindakan yang sangat penting untuk dilaksanakan. Mari kita bersama-sama mempertahankan daerah bebas Rabies yang kita miliki untuk kesehatan dan kesejahteraan kita bersama.