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Efforts to control bird flu in animals seriously under-funded, UN agency warns

Efforts to control bird flu in animals seriously under-funded, UN agency warns

Dead chicken inspections in Jakarta
The global strategy to control bird flu in animals, which in a worst-case scenario could mutate into a worldwide human pandemic killing tens of millions of people, remains largely under-funded, with only a fifth of the $100 million sought so far pledged, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned today.

The global strategy to control bird flu in animals, which in a worst-case scenario could mutate into a worldwide human pandemic killing tens of millions of people, remains largely under-funded, with only a fifth of the $100 million sought so far pledged, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned today.

“It makes sense to stockpile antiviral drugs to protect humans against a potential avian influenza pandemic, but at the same time we have to contain the virus at source, in animals, to reduce the risk to people,” FAO's Chief Veterinary Officer Joseph Domenech said, calling the international donor pledges to date excellent, but only a start.

“Strong national veterinary services are essential to improve the early detection of avian influenza. The rapid exchange and analysis of virus samples require additional resources to immediately respond to avian influenza outbreaks,” he added.

The circulation of so much influenza virus in animals in many countries in close proximity to humans remains a major risk factor that could trigger a pandemic, FAO warned. There is still a small window of opportunity before winter to reduce the levels of infection through vaccination of poultry, it added.

In countries like Viet Nam it is the only way that the can be dampened down in the short time available. It involves mass vaccination of poultry, especially in the smallholder sector where there is also close contact between poultry and humans.

The Global Strategy for the Progressive Control of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza launched in May by FAO and the inter-governmental World Animal Health Organization (OIE), in collaboration with the UN World Health Organization (WHO), has called for over $100 million for the next three years for programmes in South-East Asia.

To date, donor countries have pledged around $16.5 million. FAO will provide another $2 million from its own resources. The World Bank and the European Commission are also planning to heavily invest in controlling bird flu.

“This support is excellent, but it marks only a starting point and unless it translates into further financial funding to support affected countries, the cycle of bird flu infection that will occur in poultry this winter will not be stopped,” Mr. Domenech said.

“Countries in Asia are doing their best to control the virus but they cannot and should not be expected to do this job on their own,” he added.

Overall, there have been some 120 reported human H5N1 cases, about 60 of them fatal, all in South-East Asia, since January 2004. Some 140 million domestic birds have died or been culled in an effort to curb the spread.

UN health officials have repeatedly warned that the H5N1 virus could evolve into a global influenza pandemic if it mutates into a form which could transmit easily between people. The so-called Spanish flu pandemic of 1918-1920, unrelated to the present virus, is estimated to have killed from 20 million to 40 million people worldwide.