wowpow
April 7th, 2006, 06:56
"Rome (dpa) - Although bird flu has now been confirmed in 45 countries on three continents, efforts to combat the disease on poultry farms "are slowly proving successful on many fronts," the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said Thursday.
In a statement, FAO said that while little could be done to control the movement of wild birds carrying the deadly avian influenza virus, "action should be taken to reduce the risk and prevent their contact with domestic birds."
"To date, the virus has killed 108 people, all in Asia. More than 200 million birds have died from the virus or through culling in efforts to slow the spread of the disease, but the vigorous response to outbreaks in this region, particularly in Thailand, Vietnam and China appears to have reduced the transmission of the disease from poultry to humans," said FAO's Chief Veterinary Officer, Joseph Domenech.
FAO, in close collaboration with the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), was continuing to urge governments "to concentrate containment efforts on the farm and emphasizes the role of human activity trade and markets which are the main spreaders of the virus but also are the areas that can be inspected, controlled and improved."
The statement by the Rome-based agency was released before reports that the avian influenza virus had for the first time been detected in a dead swan found in Britain."
Bangkok Post
In a statement, FAO said that while little could be done to control the movement of wild birds carrying the deadly avian influenza virus, "action should be taken to reduce the risk and prevent their contact with domestic birds."
"To date, the virus has killed 108 people, all in Asia. More than 200 million birds have died from the virus or through culling in efforts to slow the spread of the disease, but the vigorous response to outbreaks in this region, particularly in Thailand, Vietnam and China appears to have reduced the transmission of the disease from poultry to humans," said FAO's Chief Veterinary Officer, Joseph Domenech.
FAO, in close collaboration with the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), was continuing to urge governments "to concentrate containment efforts on the farm and emphasizes the role of human activity trade and markets which are the main spreaders of the virus but also are the areas that can be inspected, controlled and improved."
The statement by the Rome-based agency was released before reports that the avian influenza virus had for the first time been detected in a dead swan found in Britain."
Bangkok Post