The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has reported resurgence of the dreaded avian influenza in at least eight countries in Asia and Africa, and has urged all nations to remain vigilant and fully cooperate with international organisations in keeping this menace under check.
In a statement issued simultaneously in Rome and Bangkok, the FAO has said 2007, new flare-ups of the bird flu have been reported this year, from China, Egypt, Indonesia, Japan, Nigeria, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.
The FAO has cautioned that cold weather enhances virus survival. Wild bird migration as well as the movement of animals can play a role in its spread. However, it also pointed out that the number of outbreaks in the first few weeks of this year has been significantly lower than the epidemic waves of last year.
Even while observing that the inter-continental flow of the H5N1 bird flu virus by wild birds migrating from Asia to Europe and Africa had not taken place during this autumn/winter season at the same level as it had in 2005, the FAO has stressed that the virus persists in several Asian countries as well as in Egypt and Nigeria. Other countries may also have it but have yet to declare.
With the start of the first epidemic wave in Asia in late 2003 and early 2004, eight countries became infected. During 2004/05, the situation improved in some countries but remained largely unchanged. In 2005/06, the virus spread from East Asia to Siberia, Eastern Europe, the West Asia and Africa, affecting over 40 countries, including India.