Bird Flu Virus Can Spill Over To Africa, Europe, Says FAO
By D. Arul Rajoo
 Bernama, 18 Jan 2006

BANGKOK, Jan 18 (Bernama) -- The avian influenza virus or bird flu could become entrenched in the Black Sea, Caucasus and Near East regions through trade and movement of people and animals and be further spread by migratory birds particularly those coming from Africa in the spring, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned Wednesday.

Its Deputy Director-General David Harcharik said FAO was concerned that with trade, the movement of people and animals and migratory birds, new countries could be affected.

He said this in his opening speech at the International Pledging Conference on Avian and Human Pandemic Influenza in Beijing, China today. The text of his speech was released by the FAO's Bangkok-based Asia Pacific regional office, here Wednesday.

"Countries in Africa deserve special attention. In Turkey, the virus has already reached the crossroads of Asia, Europe and Africa, and there is a real risk of further spread. If it were to become rooted in the African countryside, the consequences for a continent already devastated by hunger and poverty could be truly catastrophic," Harcharik said.

In endemic areas, the movements of animals,  products  and  people  should

be controlled, he said, adding that all countries along the routes of migratory birds should be highly vigilant and be prepared for a further spread of the disease in animals.

"Fighting the avian influenza virus in animals is the most effective and cost-effective way to reduce the likelihood of H5N1 mutating or reassorting to cause a human flu pandemic," Harcharik said.

He said containing bird flu in domestic animals - mostly chickens and ducks - would significantly reduce the risk to humans and that avian influenza should not only be considered as a human health issue, but as a human and animal health issue.

"Such a perception requires close cooperation between health and agricultural and veterinary authorities. Countries that foster close collaboration between the human health and agricultural sectors are likely to be the most successful in battling the disease," Harcharik said.

He said centrally organized veterinary services were essential for successful bird flu control campaigns. Governments would fail in combating avian influenza if they did not give their veterinary services the political support as well as the technical and financial means to fight the virus, he said.
 

"Early warning systems, swift interventions and preventive measures will remain weak and inadequate without strong centrally organized veterinary services. Improved surveillance and detection will allow farmers and veterinary services to intervene quickly and apply the internationally recommended set of actions, such as culling, biosecurity measures and vaccination," he added.

Risky farming practices such as mixing poultry species in farms or in live markets, should also be changed as quickly as possible and the impact of these changes on the livelihoods of small farmers should be mitigated.

Harcharik said the movements of animals, products and people from endemic areas to other regions should be strictly controlled while funding would be needed for compensation schemes for farmers to encourage their participation in control campaigns.

For the global campaign, it is estimated that several hundred million dollars will be needed to combat the disease in animals and to date, FAO has received about US$28 million from donors.-- BERNAMA