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Posted on Thu, Oct. 12, 2006
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U.N. says bird flu awareness increases
MARTA FALCONI
Associated Press
<!-- begin body-content --> ROME - Bird flu awareness has increased worldwide since last year, but countries still must keep up surveillance and response plans against the disease, U.N. officials said Thursday.
"We've raised the level of awareness around the world," said Juan Lubroth, a senior officer for animal health at the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization. "The situation has improved, but if we relax, the spillover could be even worse."
Lubroth was speaking on the sidelines of the launch of a new unit in charge of dealing with animal health crises, food safety and other health issues at the agency's headquarters in Rome.
The H5N1 strain of bird flu has killed at least 148 people worldwide since outbreaks in Asia three years ago. Almost one-third of the victims have been in Indonesia, the worst affected country, according to the World Health Organization.
Experts fear that the virus could mutate into a form that is easily transmitted from person to person, which could set off a flu pandemic.
"Veterinary services in most countries are better than last year," said Karin Schwabenbauer, manager of the newly launched Crisis Management Center, which is aimed at giving prompt assistance in case of a health crisis. "Our feeling is that (bird flu) will not explode as it did last year, and we suppose that virus carriers are fewer than they used to be," she said.
Schwabenbauer said, however, that no one could predict if or where an outbreak might occur.
Evidence on the role of wild birds is not always conclusive in the areas where H5N1 has appeared. Migratory birds introduced the disease in Russia and Eastern Europe, but in recent outbreaks in Africa, there was scarce evidence pointing to wild birds.
The FAO has been engaged in training people, providing equipment and helping officials worldwide ready emergency plans in case of outbreaks, Lubroth said. He stressed that infected poultry still needed to be quickly detected and isolated.
"Only one introduction of a sick animal where there are millions could be quite explosive," Lubroth said.
Posted on Thu, Oct. 12, 2006
email thisprint thisreprint or license thisU.N. says bird flu awareness increases
MARTA FALCONI
Associated Press
<!-- begin body-content --> ROME - Bird flu awareness has increased worldwide since last year, but countries still must keep up surveillance and response plans against the disease, U.N. officials said Thursday.
"We've raised the level of awareness around the world," said Juan Lubroth, a senior officer for animal health at the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization. "The situation has improved, but if we relax, the spillover could be even worse."
Lubroth was speaking on the sidelines of the launch of a new unit in charge of dealing with animal health crises, food safety and other health issues at the agency's headquarters in Rome.
The H5N1 strain of bird flu has killed at least 148 people worldwide since outbreaks in Asia three years ago. Almost one-third of the victims have been in Indonesia, the worst affected country, according to the World Health Organization.
Experts fear that the virus could mutate into a form that is easily transmitted from person to person, which could set off a flu pandemic.
"Veterinary services in most countries are better than last year," said Karin Schwabenbauer, manager of the newly launched Crisis Management Center, which is aimed at giving prompt assistance in case of a health crisis. "Our feeling is that (bird flu) will not explode as it did last year, and we suppose that virus carriers are fewer than they used to be," she said.
Schwabenbauer said, however, that no one could predict if or where an outbreak might occur.
Evidence on the role of wild birds is not always conclusive in the areas where H5N1 has appeared. Migratory birds introduced the disease in Russia and Eastern Europe, but in recent outbreaks in Africa, there was scarce evidence pointing to wild birds.
The FAO has been engaged in training people, providing equipment and helping officials worldwide ready emergency plans in case of outbreaks, Lubroth said. He stressed that infected poultry still needed to be quickly detected and isolated.
"Only one introduction of a sick animal where there are millions could be quite explosive," Lubroth said.