U.N. Launches New Effort to Strengthen Bird Flu Campaign in Asia

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) announced July 30 that it is providing more than $1.2 million to support a veterinary network in Asia to better detect, control and prevent avian influenza.

The announcement emerges from a three-day regional meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, of veterinary officers and laboratory experts who have been battling the bird flu outbreak since early in 2004.

According to a press release, the support from FAO will allow national animal disease laboratories and their scientists in the field to better detect and diagnose bird flu.

"Our aim is to improve the quality of diagnosis and epidemiological data. This will help countries to judge the effectiveness of their control campaigns, identify weaknesses or share success stories," said Joseph Domenech, chief of FAO's Animal Health Service. "Therefore, the region will be in a much better position to respond to the avian influenza threat," he said.

Widespread outbreaks of avian flu in February and March struck eight nations in Asia and led to the destruction of more than 100 million birds. The disease surfaced again in the early part of July, and international health officials warned at that time that the disease-causing virus was widely present in the region. Farmers and health officials need to maintain ongoing vigilance to keep bird flu at bay, the FAO said.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been a partner in the international response to the avian influenza outbreak. The agency has sent its scientists into the region to contribute to the effort to better understand the virus and its potential for transmission to humans.

Further information about the FAO's bird flu campaign is available at http://www.fao.org/ag/AGA/AGAH/EMPRES/tadinfo/e_tadAVI.htm

Further information about CDC involvement is available at http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/outbreaks/h5n1.htm

Following is the text of the FAO press release

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
FAO Newsroom

Bird flu: three subregional veterinary networks for Asia

30 July, Bangkok -- A veterinary network for Southeast Asia has been launched today to bolster the campaign against avian influenza, FAO announced.
30 July, Bangkok -- A veterinary network for Southeast Asia has been launched to bolster the campaign against avian influenza, FAO announced today.

Two similar networks for South and East Asia will follow soon. FAO will provide around $1.2 million for the creation of these subregional platforms.

"National borders cannot stop the disease from spreading," said Joseph Domenech, Chief of the FAO Animal Health Service.

"Avian influenza, which continues to pose a serious threat to human and animal health requires rapid and effective national and regional responses. While individual countries have made some progress, only regional cooperation is likely to achieve success," he said.

The networks will offer training and information exchange platforms for national laboratories and surveillance teams from 23 Asian countries.

FAO launched the first network for Southeast Asia at a three-day regional meeting of veterinary officers and laboratory experts that ended in Bangkok today.

Weaknesses and success

The three subregional networks will bring together affected and non-affected countries to better coordinate the control and prevention of bird flu.

"Our aim is to improve the quality of diagnosis and epidemiological data. This will help countries to judge the effectiveness of their control campaigns, identify weaknesses or share success stories," Domenech said. "Therefore, the region will be in a much better position to respond to the avian influenza threat," he said.

As a result of these emergency projects, national animal disease diagnostic laboratories and field surveillance teams will have the capacity for diagnosing and detecting avian influenza. Harmonized standards on disease detection and reporting will be applied throughout the three subregions.

Training

Veterinary staff will be trained in applying harmonized diagnostic and field surveillance tools.

The leading laboratory and surveillance focal points for national bird flu campaigns will meet twice per year to discuss the progress achieved. International experts will support countries in training, laboratory diagnosis and field surveillance.

FAO has closely cooperated with the World Animal Health Organization (OIE) in setting up these networks. They will be linked to the influenza networks of the World Health Organization (WHO).

The Southeast Asia network will cover Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Thailand, East Timor and Viet Nam.

The network for South Asia will include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

In East Asia, China, Japan, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, Mongolia, and the Republic of Korea will participate.