March 2, 2004

 

 

Asia Bird Flu Update

 

The outbreak of bird flu in the last two months has wreaked havoc on the poultry industry. While the epidemic has yet to be fully contained, it is already showing signs of slowing down.

 

In Thailand, the world's fourth-largest chicken industry, with annual exports worth $1.5 billion, an estimated 30 million chickens have been culled. The industry contributes about one percent to GDP. About 81,000 families rely on the industry for a living on 30,000 poultry farms and in related sectors, such as animal feed.

 

In Vietnam, the outbreak has spread to 57 of the country's 64 provinces. A total of 38 million poultry, around 15 percent of Vietnam's poultry population, have been killed by the virus or culled.

 

In China, where they house the world's largest poultry population, sixteen of 31 provinces and major cities have confirmed outbreaks. However, no humans have contracted the virus.

 

South Korea was the first to report the bird flu outbreak late last year. However, local authorities claim that the bird flu strain is genetically different from that which has killed humans. The country has slaughtered almost 4.5 million chickens and ducks from its poultry population of almost 108 million birds since the virus was first reported in December. The livestock industry makes up around 0.4 percent of the country's gross domestic product.

 

Japan have three confirmed outbreaks of bird flu, all of which were found to be the virulent H5N1 strain of the virus. The output of Japan's chicken industry in 2001 was 670 billion yen, around 0.1 percent of the country's GDP that year.

 

Taiwan also reported the less virulent strain, H5N2, of bird flu. So far, around 300,000 birds have been culled. Taiwan produces chickens and eggs worth T$37 billion (US$1.1 billion) in 2002, contributing about 0.4 percent to GDP.

 

Indonesia has lost 4.7 million chickens since November. Another 10 million chickens are expected to be culled. The poultry industry, including bird feed, is estimated to be worth around 60 trillion rupiah ($7.2 billion) a year. The outbreak has cost the industry some 7.7 trillion rupiah.

 

Cambodia experienced comparatively less losses with only 4,000 chickens dead or culled. There are fewer than 100 small-scale bird farms supplying the domestic market in and around Phnom Penh.

 

Pakistan says the outbreak in the port city of Karachi had been contained. Officials say the strains detected are less harmful to humans than elsewhere in Asia. About 3.5 million birds have either died or been culled.

 

Laos has one confirmed outbreak of bird flu. About 3,500 chickens have died close to the capital, Vientiane, since January 14.

 

The United States is the 11th country to discover the virus, although it is not a strain harmful to humans. Agricultural officials say they were optimistic that the outbreak in southern Texas had been contained. Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania have also reported milder strains in poultry flocks or live bird markets.

 

Health officials in Canada have confirmed that the case of bird flu discovered in February in British Columbia was a low-risk variety, and they were confident it was confined to the chicken farm where the outbreak was discovered.