The trend and frequency of current outbreaks of avian influenza in Asia indicate the strong possibility of an endemic in Southeast Asia despite control efforts in the region, said an OIE official here Wednesday.     

    The warning was made by T. Fujita, representative of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), in addressing the opening of the Second FAO/OIE Regional Meeting on Avian Influenza Control in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

    "The appearance of the disease in previously unaffected countries and its re-emergence in this region demonstrate the difficulties to control Avian Influenza," noted Fujita.

    The highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) caused by the avian influenza virus subtype of H5N1 and reported since late 2003 in Asia, has proved to be one of the most hazardous transboundary animal disease and zoonoses.

    The disease has negative impacts in the animal health sector and may have very serious implications for public health, he said at the 3-day meeting attended by officials and experts from more than 20 countries and regions as well as representatives from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), OIE, the World Health Organization (WHO) and some donor countries.

    Based on the recent experience of the disease, it is now widelyrecognized that the disease condition in the region has strong links with traditional animal production and marketing systems, including backyard and subsistence poultry production, multiple animal species farming practices with chickens, ducks and pigs sharing common environments as well as live poultry marketing systems.

    He said, recent research has confirmed that aquatic birds, especially ducks can act as reservoirs of infection with or without clinical signs and are capable of excreting large amounts of viruses into the environment.

    The disease control efforts will contribute to the containment of the virus of the disease and reduction of losses in industry aswell as threats to human health, he said.

    While noting that the OIE is working with other international organizations to fight against the disease, Fujita stressed the importance of the strong support from the international community and donor organizations, for the prevention and control of avian influenza and other serious animal and zoonotic diseases.