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China`s opportunity to stop bird flu narrowing: WHO
Beijing, Jan 31: China`s window of opportunity to stop the spread of bird flu is narrowing, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned as the country stepped up checks on poultry nationwide for signs of the deadly virus.
Beijing, Jan 31: China's window of opportunity to stop the spread of bird flu is narrowing, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned as the country stepped up checks on poultry nationwide for signs of the deadly virus.
China yesterday confirmed outbreaks among farm birds in two provinces, Hubei and Hunan, to be the lethal H5N1 strain of avian flu, and announced new suspected infections in two other provinces and the booming city of Shanghai.
''We have repeatedly said there is a brief window of opportunity to act within China. This latest news strongly suggests that the window is getting smaller with each passing day,'' said WHO disease surveillance specialist Julie Hall.
Earlier this week, authorities confirmed an outbreak in the southern region of Guangxi, bordering Vietnam as the H5N1 strain, which has killed at least eight people in Thailand and Vietnam and spread rapidly to 10 Asian countries.
China has been culling poultry within three km of infected farms, vaccinating birds within five km and established a national command headquarters, headed by vice premier Hui Liangyu, to battle the disease.
Today it also halted exports from Anhui, Guangdong and Shanghai, following bans on shipments abroad from the other infected areas.
The World Health Organisation, however, has requested more information on China's use of vaccines to fight the flu, amid concerns they could contribute to its spread.
''There is a possibility that vaccinating birds with imperfectly made or inappropriately tailored vaccines may sometimes offer them a limited amount of protection, that could mask an H5N1 avian influenza infection,'' it said in a statement today.
''In such cases, the birds might not die, but could get sick, shed the virus and eventually infect other birds in the flock,'' said the statement.
The WHO was also concerned about the environmental impact of the bird culls and urged that people involved ''take suitable safety precautions'' to help prevent the possibility that they might be infected.
Controlling outbreaks in China, expected to produce some 10.1 million tonnes of poultry in 2004, is worrisome to health experts because nearly four out of five chickens, ducks and other fowl are raised on household farms, where peasants live in close proximity with their animals. Bureau Report
''We have repeatedly said there is a brief window of opportunity to act within China. This latest news strongly suggests that the window is getting smaller with each passing day,'' said WHO disease surveillance specialist Julie Hall.
Earlier this week, authorities confirmed an outbreak in the southern region of Guangxi, bordering Vietnam as the H5N1 strain, which has killed at least eight people in Thailand and Vietnam and spread rapidly to 10 Asian countries.
China has been culling poultry within three km of infected farms, vaccinating birds within five km and established a national command headquarters, headed by vice premier Hui Liangyu, to battle the disease.
Today it also halted exports from Anhui, Guangdong and Shanghai, following bans on shipments abroad from the other infected areas.
The World Health Organisation, however, has requested more information on China's use of vaccines to fight the flu, amid concerns they could contribute to its spread.
''There is a possibility that vaccinating birds with imperfectly made or inappropriately tailored vaccines may sometimes offer them a limited amount of protection, that could mask an H5N1 avian influenza infection,'' it said in a statement today.
''In such cases, the birds might not die, but could get sick, shed the virus and eventually infect other birds in the flock,'' said the statement.
The WHO was also concerned about the environmental impact of the bird culls and urged that people involved ''take suitable safety precautions'' to help prevent the possibility that they might be infected.
Controlling outbreaks in China, expected to produce some 10.1 million tonnes of poultry in 2004, is worrisome to health experts because nearly four out of five chickens, ducks and other fowl are raised on household farms, where peasants live in close proximity with their animals. Bureau Report