WHO Warns Of Bird Flu Pandemic - Virus More Prevelant Than Thought

[hatrack]

SHANGHAI, China — "Asia faces an outbreak of unprecedented proportions as it grapples with avian influenza, which the World Health Organization (WHO) warns could develop into a pandemic unless detection and prevention methods are improved.

Health officials from across the region raised alarm bells this week over bird flu, which WHO officials said had claimed 28 lives in the region.

They argued that increased collaboration between countries and more study was needed to combat the virus, which resurfaced in July in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and China and dampened Asian demand for grain. "This outbreak is historically unprecedented. Its infectious agents don't respect international boundaries," Shigeru Omi, regional director for the WHO's Western Pacific Region, told member-state delegates gathered in Shanghai.

The WHO has said the virulent virus was circulating more widely in the region than originally believed, which is particularly worrisome because humans lack immunity to it. A huge flow of people, goods, and foods around Asia and lax animal husbandry practices have been cited as prime concerns.

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http://www.enn.com/news/2004-09-16/s_27205.asp