February 18, 2005

Experts to report on bird flu control in Asia

Researchers in Asian and Pacific countries will gather in Vietnam next week to assess the overall bird flu situation, where outbreaks have reportedly hit 3000 in Asia.

The researchers will identify key factors which influence the course of the epidemic, and recommend enhancements to control programs in order to manage the current situation more effectively.

There is continuing concern about the possibility of the virus spreading between people. Although the disease has been brought under control in some countries, there has been a resurgence in others.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations released a report on bird flu in Asia several months ago, before the epidemic was over.

The UN team working on the country reports have discovered that the epidemic has changed character this year, switching from a pattern that involved wild birds to one in which marketing systems are the main factor responsible for continuation of the epidemic.

Japan and South Korea quickly managed to eradicated their outbreaks a year ago by slaughtering affected poultry before they could spread the disease further. Current measures have shifted to managing the marketing system using new surveillance procedures, vaccinating at least some high-risk bird populations, and improving biosecurity within poultry populations, with a special emphasis on species such as ducks and quail.

Also equally important are measures to reduce the amount of virus circulating in the affected countries, to protect both birds and people.

However, the task now is in obtaining sufficient resources for the above measures. Although public concern over bird flu has mounted globally, the resources available remain inadequate and the repercussions from failing to bring the epidemic under control enormous.