An emergency bird-flu meeting of Asian ministers and international health experts went ahead yesterday, even though the Thai capital was declared a "danger zone" from the disease that has hit at least 10 countries.
The bird flu, which has raced through Asia's poultry farms and killed at least 10 people, previously had struck Thailand's countryside only. But in awkward timing for Thai officials fending off allegations they initially covered up an outbreak, Bangkok officials said the virus was detected in a fighting cock and other fowl around the sprawling metropolis. Officials also announced that the disease had now been detected in about one-third of Thailand's provinces.
The World Health Organization's (WHO) regional director Shigeru Omi warned yesterday, "There's always potential for this kind of outbreak to result in serious global pandemic, which involves not hundreds, but could kill millions of people globally."
Across Asia, millions of chickens and ducks have been killed -- by the disease or in government-ordered culls aimed at containing it.
The virus has jumped to people in Vietnam and Thailand. Vietnam announced two more deaths from the disease yesterday, bringing the country's total to eight. Two others have died in Thailand. Most cases have been traced to direct contact with sick birds and many victims have been young children.
China announced yesterday it had slaughtered nearly 60,000 chickens in a campaign against bird flu, trying to assure the public the disease was under control a day after the country's first cases were confirmed in ducks.
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