A new case of bird flu in Vietnam yesterday heightened the sense of urgency for top health and animal experts gathered at a conference in the Southeast Asian nation with the goal of mapping out a long-term strategy for fighting the deadly virus.
Delegates are expected to call for swift action from affected nations and the international community to prevent bird flu from exploding into a global pandemic as the international meeting winded down yesterday.
"We are not expecting commitments in terms of amount of money, but we are for sure having strong recognition that it's a very serious matter which has to be addressed with more investment than before," Joseph Domenech, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) chief of animal health service, said.
Underscoring the growing threat, Vietnam confirmed a 21-year-old man from northern Thai Binh province tested positive for the deadly H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus. He was admitted to the hospital Monday with a high fever, serious lung infection, breathing difficulties and liver failure, said Nguyen Thi Tuong Van of Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi.
His 14-year-old sister is also suspected of contracting the disease and her samples are being tested now.
Since Dec. 30, 13 people have died in Vietnam from the bird flu while four others who contracted the virus recovered.
A growing chorus of experts have warned of the impending threat of a global pandemic if the bird flu is not contained. Experts have said the H5N1 virus, which has already killed 45 people from Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia, could become far more lethal if it mutates into a form that can be easily transmitted among humans.
The re-emergence of outbreaks in Vietnam this year indicated the virus has become entrenched in many parts of the region.
Health and animal officials have acknowledged that complete eradication of bird flu from the region is unlikely in the short term, but they have emphasized there is still time to effectively control the H5N1 virus at its source, ensuring that people and farm animals in Asia are sealed off from infected carriers.
However, it will take a sizeable investment from affected countries and the international community, said FAO officials. At a minimum, about US$100 million would be needed at the outset for beefing up veterinary services such as surveillance and monitoring the disease and providing animal vaccines.
That does not include more long-term costs of poultry restocking, compensation for farmers, or restructuring farming practices.
UN officials have criticized the earlier lack of commitment from affected countries and donors to tackle the outbreak when it surfaced last year.
Only about US$18 million was given by the international community to fund an emergency response -- a "glaringly insufficient" amount, compared to the magnitude of the threat, said Doctor Samuel Jutzi, an official with the FAO.
A long-term approach for controlling the virus will ultimately lie in revamping husbandry practices of Asia's small-scale farmers, many of whom live in close, often unsanitary quarters with their livestock.
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