Deadly bird flu dangers remain

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KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- The bird flu virus remains as dangerous as ever, and nations must do more to prepare for a pandemic among humans, agencies of the United Nations said yesterday at a conference on the deadly disease.

Although the avian influenza virus has not mutated to become easily spread among people, the risk of a pandemic is not receding, said Dr. Shigeru Omi, the World Health Organization's Western Pacific regional director.

"[The virus] remains as unstable, unpredictable and versatile as ever. Judging by its performance to date, we need to be on constant alert for surprises," he said in an opening address to the three-day meeting.

The H5N1 virus "has so far resisted all attempts to dislodge it from the environment and remains endemic across large parts of the region. It has now infected more than 100 people, killing more than half of them," he said.

Dr. Omi said that in a sign of its tenacity, the virus reappeared in China last month, killing 6,000 migratory birds. Indonesia has reported what is thought to be its first human victim, although tests are inconclusive.

"[In Vietnam], there have been roughly twice as many human cases this year as last year. ... In our view, Vietnam is now chronically infected."

Despite the dangers, Dr. Omi said, there was time to prevent further spread of the disease. "But countries must also get ready for the worst. This means they must speed up their work on pandemic preparedness."

Representatives from the WHO, the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) also called on governments to plow more resources into combating the disease.

"The money spent on the strengthening of veterinary services is insignificant compared to the enormous economic or other losses sustained as a result of animal disease outbreaks and possible human pandemics," OIE Asia-Pacific representative Teruhide Fujita said.

The number of deaths from bird flu continues to rise, raising concerns among health specialists that the virus may mutate to a form easily transmitted between humans, and possibly spark a flu pandemic.

A total of 55 persons have died from bird flu in Asia, including 39 in Vietnam, 12 in Thailand and four in Cambodia, since the outbreak began in 2003.