World gets ready for bird flu
2005-10-24 12:09
Bangkok - Nations from Asia to Europe and the Americas stepped up their guard on Friday against the rapid spread of the bird flu virus, a day after Thailand reported its first fatality from the virus in a year.
A Thai farmer who slaughtered and ate a sick chicken became the world's 61st victim of the H5N1 avian influenza virus, which experts fear could cause a pandemic if it mutates into a form easily transmissible between people.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on its website that each additional human case was making it easier to develop human-to-human transmission and turn into a global catastrophe.
"While neither the timing nor the severity of the next pandemic can be predicted, the probability that a pandemic will occur has increased," the organisation said.
Thailand slaughtered poultry around the outbreak, and the dead farmer's seven-year-old son was being checked for the virus at a Bangkok hospital.
Drop in poultry meat purchases
In Europe, a preliminary test by a British laboratory showed no evidence of bird flu in a suspect turkey sent by Greece, but the continent remained braced against the virus's advance into Russia, Romania and Turkey.
The European Commission formally banned imports of pet birds and feathers from nearly all Russian territory in an emergency procedure, after an outbreak of lethal bird flu south of Moscow.
Ukraine's parliament slapped a six-month ban on imports of poultry and poultry products following the discovery of the H5N1 strain in neighbouring Russia and Romania.
EU health ministers agreed on the need for a continental stockpile of vaccines, with a formal decision likely to come at a December 8-9 meeting in Brussels.
In a joint statement, they stressed the "critical nature" of giving clear information "to reduce the likelihood of confusing messages."
"It is important to distinguish between avian flu, normal seasonal flu and pandemic flu," they said.
In Romania, authorities said tests had confirmed new cases of H5N1.
Migratory birds may next take the virus to Africa, the Food and Agriculture Organisation said this week, warning that the continent would be an "ideal breeding ground" because of close contact between people and animals.
Scientists have said east African Rift Valley countries Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania, along with Uganda, were particularly threatened as they host millions of migratory fowl that fly to warmer climes during the European winter.
Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda put veterinary experts on high alert and imposed new bans or strengthened existing restrictions on poultry and wild bird imports.
A union representing Greek meat sellers said sales of poultry had plummeted 60 to 70% since Monday due to the bird flu crisis.
In Australia, authorities banned imports of birds from Canada after a scare caused by three pigeons certified as healthy by Canadian officials which tested positive for avian flu antibodies.