WHO tells bird flu scientists to stop squabbling
Wed 8 Nov 2006 8:53:45 GMT
HONG KONG, Nov 8 (Reuters) - The World Health Organisation has urged Chinese and foreign scientists to stop squabbling and share information to figure out how to combat a new H5N1 bird flu virus strain that is spreading unchecked in poultry flocks.
"Instead of having a battle in the media ... we encourage the scientists from the Chinese government and from Hong Kong and elsewhere to sit round a table and go over all these details," said Henk Bekedam, WHO's China representative.
"This is an ideal opportunity to get a better idea what is happening in China and assess strategies that have been effective and develop even more targeted strategies if there is a need."
Chinese officials and scientists rejected a paper published last week by Hong Kong and U.S. scientists who said a new vaccine-resistant "Fujian-like" H5N1 strain had emerged in poultry in China and may spread across Asia and Europe.
In an interview with Chinese media published on Tuesday, two Chinese scientists fired strongly worded rebuttals, saying there was "no scientific basis" for the views and conclusions in the paper. They accused the foreign researchers of "unscientific methods" and said China's vaccination programme was effective.
But they gave no details or data, something that Bekedam says is badly wanting.
"Right or wrong, this goes to a level of details that you have to talk to scientists, people who look at gene sequencing and give us clues as to what is happening," he told Reuters.
"If viruses are substantially different, then it is very important for us to make some re-adjustment in the diagnostics, to consider if we might need to come up with a new vaccine."
H5N1 remains a disease in birds although it has killed over 150 people since late 2003. However, experts fear it could start a pandemic and kill millions if it ever learns to transmit efficiently among people. Research so far into the Fujian strain shows it poses no heightened danger to people.
Wed 8 Nov 2006 8:53:45 GMT
HONG KONG, Nov 8 (Reuters) - The World Health Organisation has urged Chinese and foreign scientists to stop squabbling and share information to figure out how to combat a new H5N1 bird flu virus strain that is spreading unchecked in poultry flocks.
"Instead of having a battle in the media ... we encourage the scientists from the Chinese government and from Hong Kong and elsewhere to sit round a table and go over all these details," said Henk Bekedam, WHO's China representative.
"This is an ideal opportunity to get a better idea what is happening in China and assess strategies that have been effective and develop even more targeted strategies if there is a need."
Chinese officials and scientists rejected a paper published last week by Hong Kong and U.S. scientists who said a new vaccine-resistant "Fujian-like" H5N1 strain had emerged in poultry in China and may spread across Asia and Europe.
In an interview with Chinese media published on Tuesday, two Chinese scientists fired strongly worded rebuttals, saying there was "no scientific basis" for the views and conclusions in the paper. They accused the foreign researchers of "unscientific methods" and said China's vaccination programme was effective.
But they gave no details or data, something that Bekedam says is badly wanting.
"Right or wrong, this goes to a level of details that you have to talk to scientists, people who look at gene sequencing and give us clues as to what is happening," he told Reuters.
"If viruses are substantially different, then it is very important for us to make some re-adjustment in the diagnostics, to consider if we might need to come up with a new vaccine."
H5N1 remains a disease in birds although it has killed over 150 people since late 2003. However, experts fear it could start a pandemic and kill millions if it ever learns to transmit efficiently among people. Research so far into the Fujian strain shows it poses no heightened danger to people.