March 27, 2006

Dominica official warns of possible bird flu outbreak

A Dominican health official warned Sunday (Mar 26) that there was a serious risk of bird flu reaching the Caribbean by next year, and said the government was finalising plans to combat the virus.

Bird flu could reach North America this year, said government epidemiologist Dr Paul Ricketts. The epidemic would then likely reach the Caribbean "with the summer southerly migration of birds," he warned.

The ministries of agriculture and health have begun "finalising plans for a quick response," he said.

The H5N1 strain of bird flu has killed or forced the slaughter of tens of millions of chickens and ducks across Asia since 2003. It has spread more recently with migrating birds to Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Veterinarians, environmental health officials and poultry producers from the Caribbean were to meet in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, on April 4 to discuss a regional response to the virus.

According to Ricketts another meeting organised by the Pan American Health Organisation will be held in Columbia on April 19 to look at a bird flu plan for Latin America and the Caribbean.