January 12, 2005

Taiwan, Japan To Increase Cooperation In Bird Flu Prevention

In a seminar between Taiwan and Japan on the prevention and control of avian influenza, participants from both countries pledged to step up cooperation in research into major contagious diseases in animals.

Around 180 experts and scholars from Taiwan and Japan took part in the two-day seminar sponsored by the Animal Health Research institute of the Council of Agriculture. The participants also agreed that they will step up the development of early diagnosis of disease in land and marine livestock, research into related contagious diseases, as well as the research and development of vaccines for animal disease.

Participants from Taiwan reported their method of diagnosing avian flu and Taiwan's experience in dealing with the H5N2 virus, a milder form of avian flu that affected Taiwan chicken and duck farms, requiring the slaughter of the affected poultry.

The Japanese experts reported on a project to combat avian flu and the outbreak of a more lethal H5N1 virus and the decimation of the affected fowl. The participants will convene a similar seminar in Japan next year to discuss avian flu and other human-animal transmitted diseases, as well as to exchange information on migratory birds carrying avian flu.