180 APBN • Vol. 3 • No. 8 • 1999

MAJOR EVENTS

Resurfacing ofthe Deadly Bird

Flu Virus

ecently in Hong Kong, the deadlystrain of the avian flu virus has

resurfaced again. This strain H5 is aless virulent relative of the H5N1 virusstrain that killed six people and infecteda dozen others in 1997. Traces of theH5 bird flu virus were detected in theexcrement samples from imported waterfowl. So far however, the virus has notyet been discovered in any humans. The1997 outbreak led to the mass slaughterof poultry in Hong Kong. It is stillunclear how the virus makes its wayfrom birds to humans.

he deadly pig-related disease thathas resulted in a public health

scare in Malaysia (see APBN Vol. 3,No. 7) has crossed borders intoSingapore.

So far one abattoir worker has died inSingapore, and seven others have beenconfined in hospital after contracting thevirus that causes brain infection.Although the Health Ministry hasconfirmed that all the eight cases arecaused by the result of the encephalitisvirus, they are found to be free fromJapanese encephalitis, the viral strainthat has killed more than 85 people inneighboring Malaysia.

Tests carried out revealed that a Hendra-like virus might be responsible in

Singapore’s cases. Such a virus was firstreported in Australia in 1994 after threepeople who worked with horses diedafter contracting encephalitis. As withthe Japanese encephalitis, the Hendravirus is contracted by humans viacontact with infected living animals. Itis not airborne and cannot betransmitted through the consumption ofmeat from an infected animal. Victims,like those of Japanese encephalities,also suffer from high fever, headaches,muscle and backaches, vomiting andeventual coma.

To put a lid on the virus, Singapore’sPrimary Production Department (PPD)has suspended all pig imports fromMalaysia. As a further safety precaution,

import of all dogs, cats, horses and otherlivestock and mammals have alsohalted. Only poultry and birds fromMalaysia are now allowed intoSingapore.

The authorities have also begunscreening slaughterhouse workers, horsecaretakers and zoo workers who comeinto contact with pigs, horses or fruitbats, which are also believed to carrythe Hendra virus. Vaccinations are alsogiven to officers involved in overseasfarm inspections. In addition, thefogging of abattoirs have increased infrequency, and will also be carried outin areas within a 2-km radius of theabattoirs.

PPD director, Dr. Ngiam Tong Tau, saidthat with the measures, he was confidentthat Japanese encephalities would notbe transmitted to the people inSingapore.

Pig-Related Virus Kills One in Singapore

T

R

181APBN • Vol. 3 • No. 8 • 1999

BI TECHASIA-PACIFIC

N E W S

MAJOR EVENTS

The Indian BudgetProposal for 1999–2000he Indian government has recently submitted its budget proposalto the parliament. Under the proposal the funding for science will

be increased to US$2.438 billion — an increase of US$0.412 billioncompared to the previous year’s. This forms 3.6 percent of the totalnational budget — excluding the US$399 million allocated for nuclear-power construction projects. The proposed budget for biotechnology isUS$29 million, an increase of 11.5 percent compared to the previousyear. As for agriculture, the proposed amount is US$288 million, anincrease of almost 26 percent from the previous year. The departmentsof defence, atomic energy and space were allocated the most funding— a total of US$1.447 billion dollars — almost 60 percent of the totalfunding.

The government has also announced three new schemes — a nationalfund for promoting innovation, a technology mission on vaccines, andthe creation of a national bioresources board to conserve and manageIndia’s genetic resources.

T

ingapore’s venture capital industrywill be given a boost with the

establishment of a S$1.73 billion (US$1billion) Technopreneurship InvestmentFund (TIF) aimed at bringing in moreventure capital activities into thecountry.

The fund, which will be available inthree months, is expected to encourageSingapore’s own investors to expandtheir operations, and innovate. Thiswould in turn attract foreign venturecapitalists scouting for investingopportunities in promising localtechnology companies. With theinjection of foreign funds, localcompanies are expected to double theircapital and hopefully become globalplayers that Singapore will rely on todrive the 21st century economy.

This initiative is part of the Techno-preneurship 21 Concept Plan, a four-prong strategy for nurturing andattracting technopreneurial talent.Initiatives in the other three areas are:

• education, which include therevamping and reorganization of localinstitutions to encourage innovationand creative thinking;

• facilities, in particular the plannedBuona Vista science hub which willbe a focal point for talents from allover the world;

• laws and regulations, which will berevised when necessary to allow thedevelopment of an entrepreneurialspirit.

Describing the TIF as an “umbrella offunds,” Singapore’s Deputy PrimeMinister Dr. Tony Tan, who is also thechairman of the Technopreneurship 21

US$1 Billion Fund forSingapore Venture Capital Industry

Ministerial Committee, said that privatesector investment funds would not becrowded out. Instead, the TIF wouldco-invest in them, and help them groweven further.

Singapore’s National Science andTechnology Board will lead this initia-tive, with its chairman, Mr. Teo MingKian assuming full-time responsibilitiesas executive chairman from 1 June1999. Mr. Teo will also head theTechnopreneurship 21 ExecutiveCommittee, the group responsible fordeveloping Singapore’s strategy inattracting and nurturing talents to helpspearhead the country’s efforts inbecoming a 21st century economy oftechnology firms. ”

“SThis initiative is

part of the

Technopreneurship 21

concept plan, a four-

prong strategy for the

nurturing and

attracting of

technopreneurial talent.