Countries and international organizations need to make more efforts to curb the attack of the bird flu virus strain H5N1 to fowls and humans, and get to know its nature for better detection and production of vaccines.

    The governments in affected countries should keep on financially assisting raisers and change their backward breeding practices in a longer term, participants of the 2nd Regional Meeting on Avian Influenza Control in Asia said in a press briefing held after the opening ceremony here Wednesday.

    They also pointed out that international organizations need to accelerate their progress of probing into virus transmissions among poultry, from fowls to persons and, likely, from humans to humans.

    "It´s time for us to work together at national, regional and international levels. Our work is not only that of the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Food And AgricultureOrganization (FAO) or the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), but also that of all people, all stakeholders," Shigeru Omi,WHO regional director for the Western Pacific, said at the briefing.

    He outlined three challenges faced by bird flu-hit countries: the disease´s strong association with rural areas, its impacts on economies, and little understanding of the nature of the disease that has attacked both fowls and people.

    To identify the presence of bird flu viruses in fowls and humans, several organizations, especially OIE, have focused their efforts on developing capability of diagnosing animal diseases, said OIE representative T.Fujita, noting that the agency will provide affected countries with comprehensive training in disease diagnosis. He urged the affected countries to follow OIE´s guidelines regarding disease eradication and vaccination.

    "It takes time to eradicate H5N1. We´re trying to curb the disease´s spread by cutting a chain in the virus´s circulation. Wecull the whole flocks of ducks, a big source of infection, if a single sample from them is tested positive to the virus," said CaoDuc Phat, Vietnamese minister of agriculture and rural development.

    He said Vietnam is willing to share anti-bird flu experiences, receive those of other countries, and follow recommendations of international organizations and scientists around the world. "Through the regional meeting, we hope to have new measures to control bird flu outbreaks in Asia."

    During the three-day regional meeting from Wednesday, held by FAO and OIE in WHO and the Vietnamese government, some 150 delegates, including top veterinary officials, scientists and representatives of both international and regional organizations and donors from up to 25 countries and regions, are to discuss bird flu situations in Asia, review recommendations of the first meeting held in Thailand in February 2004, make recommendations onfuture needs, touch upon scientific advances on animal health and socio-economic analysis.

    It will also get to know views on prevention, control and elimination of highly pathogenic avian influenza of organizations and donor agencies such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the World Bank, and donor countries, includingAustralia, France and the United States.