July 28, 2004

 

 

Bird Flu Re-appearance Not To Develop Into Regional Crisis

 

The recent surge of new bird flu outbreaks was in a smaller scale and unlikely to develop into an epidemic affecting the whole region similar to that of early this year, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) official said on Wednesday,

 

"New outbreaks of the avian influenza appearing in this month occur only in parts of some countries as separated spots," He Changchui, the FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific, stated.

 

"Compared to the epidemic hitting the region at the beginning of this year, the current situation is not that grave in terms of the scale and spreading momentum of the disease," said the UN official.

 

Since the beginning of July, the epidemic has rekindled at scattered points in different parts of China, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia.

 

However, "there're no signs that the newly reported cases would develop into a full crisis influencing the whole region," noted He, referring to the bird flu crisis which hit nine countries in the Asian Pacific area at the beginning of this year.

 

Until the disease was put under control by the end of March, almost 200 million poultry in the region have been culled and 24 people in two affected countries have died of infection of the avian influenza virus.

 

"Now the situation is almost under control due to the government's more agile response and greater attention to the issue," said He after a ceremony launching a diagnostic and surveillance network for Southeast Asia countries.

 

Taking Thailand as example, he said, the government started consulting with related international organizations and quoting necessary safety measures when only 10 percent of total poultry became suspected of being infected by the disease.

 

"It's progress compared to the case in January," said He, indicating the fact that some countries confirmed the outbreak only in January, although suspected bird death was first reported in last November.

 

Nevertheless, he stressed that the epidemic was far from over in the region. A regular and efficient surveillance system and disease control plan was the key to solve the problem.

 

"There are now strong indications that the avian influenza is becoming endemic in the region and will persist for some time," he said.

 

"Given the nature of the disease and the continuous threat it presents to the poultry industry and human health, there is an urgent need to develop medium to long term regional plans for the control of the disease."

 

Ten Southeast Asia countries including affected and those at risk took part in the FAO-initiated network project launched here on Wednesday, which was aimed to develop coordinated approaches to avian influenza monitoring, management and control, as well as to reduce the risk of large-scale outbreaks.