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Experts fighting bird flu around the world met on Wednesday in Mali to plan the next stage of their campaign to control the disease.
The outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza began in Asia in 2003 and spread rapidly in early 2006.
But the experts meeting in Mali also say the deadly H5N1 virus is just one of a plethora of diseases threatening animals and people around the world as global warming, intensive farming, increased travel and trade help dangerous microbes breed and spread.
“Avian flu is just one of many diseases that are impacting the continent (of Africa). The experts are telling us that other diseases are going to emerge or re-emerge,” said Francois Le Gall, the World Bank’s lead livestock specialist for Africa.
“Almost every year there is a new disease appearing, and 75 percent of these emerging or re-emerging diseases are coming from animals; 80 percent of those have zoonotic (animal diseases that humans can also catch — included Rift Valley fever, rabies and anthrax).potential,” he said in an interview.
“These could come together to create what the experts are calling ‘the perfect microbial storm’,” he said.
“All the measures we are using now are going to be useful to control all these emerging or re-emerging diseases — like veterinary services, public health services,” he said.
“Remember that with globalisation, and unprecedented movements of merchandise, of people, there is a continuous transfer of pathogens,” Bernard Vallat, director general of the World Organization for Animal Health, told Reuters.
“This is made worse by climate change. Many disease vectors have colonised new territories,” Vallat said. “Microbes can cross the world in a few hours.”
What singles out bird flu is the potential of the virus to mutate into a human form of influenza capable of passing from person to person, not just from infected animals.
International health experts were winding up a three-day meeting in Mali, the fourth global bird flu summit since late last year, aimed at plotting strategies to halt the spread of the disease and seeking donor funds for this campaign.
* Since the H5N1 Avian virus re-emerged in Asia in 2003, outbreaks have been confirmed in around 50 countries and territories, according to data from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).
Originally Reported by Reuters Alistair Thomson
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