The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the UN has said the wave of recent outbreaks of avian influenza in Vietnam and Thailand shows that the avian virus remains endemic in Asia and that affected countries need to do more to keep it under control.
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In a joint statement with the World Animal Health Organisation (OIE), the FAO said that the disease will be present for several years in the countries that experienced outbreaks during 2004.
“Avian influenza is an ongoing emergency disease that spreads across borders. It has serious implications for the public and animal health sector in the affected countries,” the two agencies said.
The immediate challenge is to control bird flu outbreaks at the source in the infected countries and stop the possible spread of the virus to other regions.
The FAO and OIE said strict biosecurity measures need to be applied throughout the poultry production chain, from farms and smallholdings to distribution channels, markets and retailers.
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By GlobalDataThe two agencies also warned that the tsunami disaster may worsen the bird flu situation in Asia due to the large-scale movement of poultry. The FAO is sending an expert mission to Indonesia, Sri Lanka and The Maldives this week to assess the loss to the livestock sector and future rehabilitation needs.
