Russia Proposes Taking Lead In Regional Bird-Flu Monitoring

RUSSIA - Russia's chief epidemiologist said Saturday that Russia had proposed it take the lead in coordinating bird flu monitoring in Central Asia and Eastern Europe.

Gennady Onishchenko said that Russia had suggested it become a "sub-regional leader" and was already equipped with a bird flu reference center to monitor and diagnose the disease as well as take preventive actions to stop its spread.

Onishchenko said the bird flu situation in Russia was under complete control, but suggested that the disease could see a "renaissance" in the Novosibirsk and Altai regions, since young birds have begun molting.

The fight against the spread of infectious disease is one of the three core topics at this year's Group of Eight summit, which opens Saturday in St. Petersburg. The World Health Organization's acting director general Anders Nordstrom will attend the meetings.

Source:Dow Jones
calendar icon 15 July 2006
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