FAO Warns Bird Flu Controls Must Continue
ROME - Feb 25/04 - SNS -- The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warns that efforts to control and prevent the spread of avian influenza cannot be relaxed until it is clear the disease has been brought under control.
Countries affected by the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus are Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Laos, Thailand and Viet Nam.
"The situation in some countries is still unclear and further epidemiological investigations are required to get the virus under control," FAO said.
FAO estimates that about 100 million birds have died or have been culled to battle the disease (Thailand 36 million, Viet Nam 36 million, China 5 million, Pakistan 4 million, Indonesia 15 million).
FAO has sent several disease experts to Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos, Pakistan, Thailand and Viet Nam to assess the local situation and assist countries in their battle against the disease.
The findings of these missions will be instrumental to understand the origin of the epidemic and the factors that lead to such a wide and massive spread of the virus.
Surveillance and control strategies should be continued, FAO urged, including elimination of all birds in infected production units and the strengthening of biosecurity measures.
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