Bird flu: a health issue for up to ten years
United Nations bird flu expert David Nabarro has said
that bird flu is expected to remain a serious global animal health risk for up
to ten years.
He said that the avian
virus was likely to linger because it can survive in certain
communities of birds without symptoms, and because it appears to be spread by
both migratory birds and fowl trade.
Dr Nabarro, who was speaking at UN
World Headquarters in New York, said that although the
virus had not spread as far as anticipated in Africa, 2006 still saw the highest
number of bird flu deaths so far.
â€œIn 2006 we did see more than 30 countries reporting outbreaks,â€ said Dr Nabarro
, the Senior UN System Coordinator for Avian and
â€œUnfortunately the virus continues to affect humansâ€¦and the rate of human
death is still distressingly high, with Indonesia increasingly becoming the
country which causes all of usâ€¦ very great concern.â€
Africa also poses a major challenge to curbing the disease, he said, as
recurring political and economic instability and lack of funding hamstring
Dr Nabarro did commend the efforts made by countries to stem the spread of
the virus and expressed satisfaction at fast-track responses to past outbreaks.
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