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International 10 Oct 05 from nature-singapore Wetlands International Position Statement on Avian Influenza Extract Since 1997, the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) of the H5N1 strain in east, southeast and central Asia have been increasingly recorded through recurrent outbreaks in poultry and through infections in people. This has resulted in the deaths over 60 people and culling of several hundred million domestic poultry and ducks. HPAI can be spread through movement of poultry, eggs, meat and bird products, poultry and live bird markets, illegal trade of wild birds, movement of humans and machinery between poultry farms, the religious practice of "merit release" of wild or pet birds and substandard poultry vaccines. In 2005, a few species of migratory waterbirds were affected by the virus with mass die offs observed in two locations in China and Mongolia. Due to their migratory nature, wild birds are perceived by some groups as a potential threat in spreading the disease along their migratory routes that cross national boundaries across Asia, Australasia, Europe, Africa and the Americas. At the same time wild birds are victims of this disease and thus under threat. As the role that wild birds could play in spreading HPAI is far from clear, Wetlands International urges that more research is urgently done and a world wide system for monitoring HPAI in wild birds be put in place. Practical measures to be taken to limit the risk of spreading the virus should focus on the control of movements of domestic poultry and on improved bio-security practices in poultry production enterprises. links Related articles on Global issues: bird flu issues, polices, impact |
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