Bird Flu Claims More Victims, U.n. Renews Warning

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Bird Flu Claims More Victims, U.N. Renews Warning

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By Nopporn Wong-Anan

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Asia's human bird flu death toll rose to 22 on Wednesday as Thailand and Vietnam reported more human deaths from the disease ravaging poultry flocks across the region and the WHO pleaded with governments not to rush to declare it under control.

"This virus is still spreading no matter what some authorities are saying about it being under control. It is spreading on a daily basis," World Health Organization (news - web sites) spokesman Peter Cordingley told Reuters in Manila.

The WHO in Geneva renewed its warnings about the H5N1 bird flu virus, sayingwild birds could easily spread it and that people were still at risk.

"Highly pathogenic avian influenza, caused by the H5N1 strain, is currently infecting poultry in eight Asian countries. Full control has not yet been achieved in any of these countries, despite intensive efforts in many," WHO said in its latest statement, posted on its Web site at http://www.who.int.

Thailand and Vietnam, where all the human cases have been reported, are talking about declaring victory over the virulent H5N1 virus in a matter of weeks.

Cordingley said doing that would carry great risks.

"If you re-stock too soon and the virus is still in the environment and you get a second infection in a re-stocked flock, then you have an endemic situation where the virus is embedded in the region and risk a recurrence every flu season," he said.

CARRIED BY WILD BIRDS

In past outbreaks, investigations have shown that infection can be introduced into domestic flocks by wild aquatic birds, including migratory birds capable of flying long distances, the WHO said.

"Once introduced into domestic flocks, the virus, which is highly contagious, can be mechanically carried from farm to farm via contaminated items, such as vehicles, clothing, and equipment."

Thailand, the world's fourth-biggest chicken exporter which had hoped to declare the epidemic under control this month until finding recurrences, still says it expects to do so next month.

Thailand reported 14 new outbreaks, including one province where the disease had not been reported before. "More than 27 million birds have either died or been destroyed. Infections in chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, ostriches, quail, and peacocks have been reported," WHO said.

In Vietnam, outbreaks have been reported in 57 of the country's 64 provinces and 27 million birds have either died or been destroyed.

Vietnamese officials say they are optimistic they can meet Prime Minister Pham Van Khai's goal of bringing it under control this month.

Japan declared an end to its first outbreak of bird flu.

Masako Kurimoto, director of the farm ministry's Animal Health and Animal Product Safety Division, said a ban on eggs and chickens leaving an area within a 20-mile radius of the location of the first infection in Yamaguchi prefecture would be lifted if there were no fresh cases reported in the area.

NO END IN SIGHT

But the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization (news - web sites) said it would be at least a year, perhaps never, before the virus was under control.

The WHO expects more people to catch bird flu, which has killed at least 15 Vietnamese and seven Thais.

The latest deaths were reported on Wednesday -- a four-year-old boy who died on February 3 and was now confirmed to have been infected with the virus, and a Vietnamese man.

"The H5N1 strain is capable of infecting a broad range of hosts, which may help explain recent media reports of infections and deaths in mammalian and avian species not normally considered susceptible to infection and severe disease," WHO said.

It said H5N1 flu looks different in people than normal influenza infection. It spreads through the body and instead of staying in the respiratory tract, it can affect various organs and kill quickly.

"These features are being seen again in the earliest clinical reports from Vietnam and Thailand," WHO said.

"For all these reasons, the present situation in Asia needs to be watched very carefully. Countries need to maintain a high level of vigilance, and must not relax their surveillance and detection efforts."