WHO dismisses new fears over bird flu following outbreaks in Vietnam
8/6/2007 16:15
The World Health Organization (WHO) said there was no new evidence that
the H5N1 virus has become more easily transmittable from poultry to humans,
local newspaper Vietnam News reported today.
The comments by WHO's
communications officer in Vietnam Dida Connor follow fears of a potential new
outbreak of bird flu among humans.
Two local people have recently been
confirmed to have contracted bird flu in the two northern provinces of Vinh Phuc
and Thai Nguyen.
However, the virus was very adaptable and became more easily
transmittable among poultry, according to chief technical advisor on avian
influenza of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization in Vietnam, Jeffrey
Gilbert.
Since early May, bird flu has hit a total of 16 cities and provinces
across Vietnam.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has asked
local authorities nationwide to take specific anti-bird flu measures, including
disinfecting poultry farms two or three times a week, sterilizing hatching
machines after hatching fowl eggs, and disinfecting slaughter houses, markets
and vehicles used for transporting fowls.
Xinhua
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