Scientists to gather in Rome for UN bird flu conference
25/05/2006 - 13:36:21
Some 300 scientists and animal experts from around 100 countries will gather in Rome next week for a conference aimed at examining the role of wild birds in spreading the deadly strain of bird flu.
The May 30-31 conference is organised by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), based in Rome, and by the Paris-based World Organisation for Animal Health.
The key issue will be the role of wild birds, as opposed to domestic poultry, in spreading the virus.
According to Joseph Domenech, FAO?s chief veterinary officer, the main problem is that it is not known for sure whether wild birds can act as long-term carriers of highly pathogenic forms of bird flu, such as the H5N1.
?Where they are not reservoirs but only victims of contamination from poultry, then prevention has to remain at the domestic bird level,? he said.
?But where they are, we have to find out which birds are involved and where they migrate to in order to prevent other wild birds and poultry being infected.?
Also on the agenda of conference is surveillance, risk analysis and disease management, FAO said.
http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/stor...14&p=y838565zx
25/05/2006 - 13:36:21
Some 300 scientists and animal experts from around 100 countries will gather in Rome next week for a conference aimed at examining the role of wild birds in spreading the deadly strain of bird flu.
The May 30-31 conference is organised by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), based in Rome, and by the Paris-based World Organisation for Animal Health.
The key issue will be the role of wild birds, as opposed to domestic poultry, in spreading the virus.
According to Joseph Domenech, FAO?s chief veterinary officer, the main problem is that it is not known for sure whether wild birds can act as long-term carriers of highly pathogenic forms of bird flu, such as the H5N1.
?Where they are not reservoirs but only victims of contamination from poultry, then prevention has to remain at the domestic bird level,? he said.
?But where they are, we have to find out which birds are involved and where they migrate to in order to prevent other wild birds and poultry being infected.?
Also on the agenda of conference is surveillance, risk analysis and disease management, FAO said.
http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/stor...14&p=y838565zx
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