The article review(文章导读):
By Ron Corben Bangkok13 July 2006
Five Southeast Asia nations are stepping up cooperation to fight bird flu. Under their agreement, Thailand and Vietnam will share their expertise in containing flu
Text(正文):
By Ron Corben
Bangkok
13 July 2006
Five Southeast Asia nations are stepping up cooperation to fight bird flu. Under their agreement, Thailand and Vietnam will share their expertise in containing flu outbreaks through training programs and mobile laboratories to improve detection.
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U.S. State Department's top bird flu official John Lange, left, and an unidentified U.S. official check chickens at a farm near Danang, Vietnam
More than 130 people have died from the H5N1 avian virus in the past three years, most of them in Southeast Asia.
Vietnam has recorded 42 human deaths, making it one of the hardest hit countries. Thailand has had 14 fatalities. However, they have reported no human cases so far this year.
Flu experts say that record is the result of new surveillance programs and education campaigns in both countries. These are relatively low-cost and effective ways of teaching farmers how to prevent bird flu and how to spot outbreaks quickly.
Peter Cordingley, a World Health Organization (WHO) spokesman, says these programs show what developing countries can do to fight avian flu.
"Thailand have pretty well mastered the situation at home although not complete control, but they're doing very, very well. Vietnam is doing relatively well. These countries have developed the expertise are now beginning to help countries that don't have the resources," he noted.
The H5N1 virus is most deadly to poultry, it has killed or led to the culling of tens of millions of chickens, ducks and geese on three continents since it reappeared in Southeast Asia in 2003. Most human victims contracted the virus from sick birds. However, international experts fear the virus will mutate and begin to spread easily among humans, which could lead to a pandemic that would kill millions of people.
To protect their people and their poultry industries, Thailand, Vietnam, Burma, Laos and Cambodia have agreed to raise their cooperation in the fight against avian flu.
The agreement hopes to build on the experience of Thailand and Vietnam.
This may be crucial for Laos, Burma and Cambodia - three of the poorest and least developed countries in Asia. International experts, including from the WHO, have warned they are the least prepared to fight bird flu. And, since the five countries share borders, containing the virus in one will be key to containing it throughout Southeast Asia.
Cordingley says Cambodia and Laos in particular need support.
"Laos is an example of a country that is struggling," he added. "Cambodia needs a lot of help as well. So we're looking to see a much higher level of information exchange and assistance."
Virachai Plasai is a director general of international economic affairs with Thailand's Foreign Ministry. He says the five countries' bird flu strategy concentrates on small communities.
"We focus on how we respond to any possible outbreak based on surveillance, community-based methods, village volunteer system, but also early detection through setting up of mobile laboratories and subsequently national laboratories," he noted. |
