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UN and animal health experts begin urgent meeting on 'bird flu' crisis

UN and animal health experts begin urgent meeting on 'bird flu' crisis

Avian Influenza
Two United Nations agencies joining forces with the World Animal Health Organization (OIE) today began an urgent expert meeting to discuss the outbreak of avian influenza, or "bird flu," and to draw up a coordinated response.

The two-day meeting is being held in Rome at the headquarters of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) along with the participation of the UN World Health Organization (WHO) and the OIE.

Eight people in Viet Nam and three people in Thailand are confirmed to have died as a result of contracting the H5N1 virus strain identified in the current outbreak. Millions of birds have died or been slaughtered since December in several Asian countries, including Viet Nam, Thailand, Japan, Cambodia and the Republic of Korea.

FAO said today that high-level veterinary officials from affected countries would participate in the Rome meeting, as well as experts from the United States Centers for Disease Control and other institutions.