While the World Health Organisation (WHO) is maintaining its phase three alert, meaning that there is no or very limited human-to-human transmission so far, the Cayman Islands has taken another key step in its preparation for the potential threat of a major global flu outbreak.

The Ministry of Health and Human Services, through the Public Health Department and in conjunction with the Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO), staged a 21-22 November workshop geared towards assisting agencies to develop their operational plans.

The workshop followed the launch of the strategic plan - the Cayman Islands Influenza Pandemic Contingency Plan - in September. The workshop was sponsored by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and facilitated by Dr Avery Hinds, regional medical epidemiologist at the North West Regional Health Authority, Trinidad and Tobago.

Speaking at the course's opening, Medical Officer of Health Dr Kiran Kumar said that the workshop is a practical step towards operationalising the contingency plan. Participants at the workshop, which was held at the Courtyard by Marriott, included representatives from 14 agencies and stakeholder groups.

The Cayman Islands Influenza Pandemic Contingency Plan is a comprehensive framework and multi-disciplinary approach to addressing the threat of a pandemic. It sets out how the Cayman Islands intends to prepare, detect and respond to a pandemic, outlining the role to be played by various stakeholders. These include the government, commercial and industrial sectors, international partners and members of the community.

Agencies which participated in the workshop included the departments of Public Health, Immigration, Agriculture, Education, Children and Family Services, and Environmental Health; Government Information Services; Hazard Management Cayman Islands; the Cayman Islands Airport Authority; Port Authority; the Health Services Authority; the Chamber of Commerce; Red Cross; and the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service.

While Cayman is not facing an immediate threat from a pandemic, the concern is that the dangerous H5N1 virus, which has already affected countries in Asia, could cause the next pandemic, Dr Kumar said. He reiterated that in the event of a pandemic, all countries will be impacted within three months, and up to 25 per cent of a country's population will likely be affected.

Chief Agricultural and Veterinary Officer Dr Alfred Benjamin spoke of the importance of forging links locally and globally, noting that Cayman has enhanced its surveillance capacity by working with other agencies in the Caribbean and the international community.

He said that the Department of Agriculture has been maintaining surveillance of the local bird population, given that the H5N1 virus has shown the capacity to mutate into a highly pathogenic strain.

The department's response includes reporting dead birds and testing them for the virus; and implementing robust measures to prevent the importation of live birds and bird products (including poultry) from countries where the disease is prevalent.

Dr Barbara Carby, director of Hazard Management Cayman Islands (HMCI), outlined the role that the newly established unit and the National Emergency Operations Centre would play in the preparation for, and response to, an event such as a flu pandemic.

In addition to assisting with the plan's development, Dr Carby said HMCI will also work closely with other agencies to develop their operational plans, as well as with the Public Health Department to conduct simulation exercises. She said that these are critical steps to ensuring that Cayman is fully prepared to deal with a pandemic.