China's ability to detect bird flu outbreak too weak
CHINA - China's ability to detect H5N1 avian flu in poultry flocks across its vast geographic expanse remains a weak link in efforts to contain global spread of the virus and lower the risk it poses to mankind, the World Health Organization's top representative in that country suggests."We do not think that there has been enough emphasis on the animal surveillance side to do that in China," Dr. Henk Bekedam told The Canadian Press in an interview.
"Somehow the animal surveillance system in China is unable to detect the circulating H5N1 (virus). And that is troubling."
Bekedam commended Chinese authorities for their commitment to the enormous undertaking of trying to vaccinate the billions of domestic chickens, ducks and geese across their country.
Source: Canoe
22 May 2005
1 minute read
