Asian countries warned not to drop guard against bird flu

The UN has warned south east Asia countries affected by the bird flu outbreak not to be "too hasty" after it emerged the some intended to declare virus-free zones and restock decimated farm flocks.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today warned that such action could see the disease flaring up again in areas which have been successfully controlled.

"In the battle against the disease, there are definitely some improvements. But we fear that the virus may continue to circulate in the environment even without an outbreak or any clinical signs in animals," the Chief of the Animal Health Service Joseph Domenech said.

Over the past two months, more than 100 million birds have either died of the flu or been culled, while there have been 33 confirmed cases of the disease’s transmission to humans, 22 of them fatal.

"Appropriate precautionary measures have to be put in place to be absolutely sure that infected zones are free from infection and will remain free," Mr Domenech added.

Before restocking, countries must prove the absence of virus circulation by using non-vaccinated chickens on affected areas to test for possible infection, as well as monitoring poultry movement, preventing contact between domestic and wild birds and implementing intensive disease surveillance, the FAO said.

If countries want to resume exports they have to prove that they are free from avian influenza and their status will be verified by independent international experts, it added.

The virulent H5N1 strain has been confirmed in Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Laos, Thailand and Viet Nam, while poultry has also been culled in Pakistan.

(gmcg)