October 1, 2004

Philippines Ready To Handle Bird Flu

Philippines on Thursday sought to allay fears that the reported spread of bird flu in several Asian countries could affect the nation.

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said the country has a "tried and tested formula" to protect the public against bird flu, pointing to a combination of community vigilance, international cooperation, public information, and quick responses to isolate the outbreak.

Using the same formula, Bunye said authorities were able to contain the spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in the country last year.

"Our successful handling of the SARS outbreak should be ample assurance that other threats such as bird flu could be dealt with," he added.

Asia has been hit by two waves of the disease since December last year that have left at least 29 people dead in Thailand and Vietnam, and killed more than 100 million birds across the region.