BBC Bird flu summit opens in Bangkok

[Guest guest]

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>BBC DAILY E-MAIL: UK EDITION

>Wednesday, 28 January, 2004, 9:00 GMT 01:00 -08:00:US/Pacific

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> * Bird flu summit opens in Bangkok *

>International delegates begin crisis talks in

>the Thai capital on ways to halt the spread of

>bird flu across Asia.

>Full story:

>http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3436143.stm

>

Asia pledges action on bird flu

Ministers from 10 Asian nations hit by bird flu

have agreed to work more closely to eradicate the

disease.

 

They pledged to increase surveillance of the

virus and to develop low-cost drugs, vaccines and

test kits.

 

The meeting took place as Vietnam confirmed a

further two deaths from the virus, bringing the

total human death toll so far to at least 10.

 

Health officials fear it could start a human flu

pandemic, though the virus has not yet jumped

from human to human.

 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said 11

pharmaceutical companies are ready to help make a

vaccine for humans.

 

Officials said a vaccine was still several months

away. The virus has to be isolated, and the

vaccine tested before it can be produced in large

quantities.

 

" We are observing a possible pandemic situation

and we are trying to take precautionary measures

in case significant human to human transmission

takes place, " said Klaus Stohr, head of the WHO's

global influenza programme.

 

Opening the meeting in Bangkok, Thailand's Prime

Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said affected nations

must fight an enemy which was " no less deadly

than Sars " , the pneumonia-like disease that

killed almost 800 people last year.

 

Mr Thaksin admitted to " mistakes and human

errors " after criticism that his government

initially covered up an outbreak of bird flu.

 

His chief spokesman went further, describing the

handling of the disease as a " screw up " .

 

WHO officials - who attended the talks along with

EU and US officials - have urged the affected

countries to be honest about the risks their

people face.

 

Tens of millions of chickens and ducks across

Asia have been culled in response to the virus.

However, Indonesia has said it cannot carry out

mass killings of its poultry because it does not

have the money to compensate farmers.

 

Deaths

 

The latest human fatalities were two sisters in

the northern Vietnamese province of Thai Binh.

The two women, aged 23 and 30, had the H5N1

strain of the flu, according to Vietnamese tests

which have yet to be confirmed by the WHO.

 

The sisters were reported to have recently killed

and prepared chicken for their brother's wedding.

 

Their deaths caused concern because until now,

most victims have been more vulnerable elderly

people or young children.

 

The death toll in Vietnam now stands at eight.

Two six-year-old boys in Thailand are also known

to have died after catching the disease.

 

In other developments:

 

 

Thailand confirms that the virus has now been

detected in 12 more provinces, including Bangkok

 

Thailand approves a $76m compensation package for affected farmers

 

China confirms suspected outbreaks in Hunan and

Hubei provinces, as well as confirmed outbreak in

Guangxi province near Vietnam.

 

 

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3436143.stm

 

Published: 2004/01/29 00:24:03 GMT

 

© BBC MMIV

 

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