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Nations gear up for bird flu defence

Afp, Bangkok
Nations from Asia to Europe and the Americas stepped up their guard yesterday against the rapid spread of the bird flu virus, a day after Thailand reported its first fatality from the virus in a year.
A Thai farmer who slaughtered and ate a sick chicken became the world's 61st victim of the H5N1 avian influenza virus, which experts fear could cause a pandemic if it mutates into a form easily transmissible between people.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on its website that each additional human case was making it easier to develop human-to-human transmission and turn into a global catastrophe.
"While neither the timing nor the severity of the next pandemic can be predicted, the probability that a pandemic will occur has increased," the organisation said.
Thailand slaughtered poultry around the outbreak, and the dead farmer's seven-year-old son was being checked for the virus at a Bangkok hospital.
"Sometimes testing for the virus takes time. If the results are not clear, many tests are required so that our analysis is unambiguous," Thai Health Minister Suchai Chareonratanakul said.
In Europe, a preliminary test by a British laboratory showed no evidence of bird flu in a suspect turkey sent by Greece, but the continent remained braced against the virus's advance into Russia, Romania and Turkey.
The European Commission formally banned imports of pet birds and feathers from nearly all Russian territory in an emergency procedure, after an outbreak of lethal bird flu south of Moscow.
Ukraine's parliament slapped a sixmonth ban on imports of poultry and poultry products following the discovery of the H5N1 strain in neighbouring Russia and Romania.
EU health ministers agreed on the need for a continental stockpile of vaccines, with a formal decision likely to come at a December 8-9 meeting in Brussels.
In a joint statement, they stressed the "critical nature" of giving clear information "to reduce the likelihood of confusing messages."
"It is important to distinguish between avian flu, normal seasonal flu and pandemic flu," they said.
In Romania, authorities said tests had confirmed new cases of H5N1.
Migratory birds may next take the virus to Africa, the Food and Agriculture Organisation said this week, warning that the continent would be an "ideal breeding ground" because of close contact between people and animals.
Scientists have said east African Rift Valley countries Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania, along with Uganda, were particularly threatened as they host millions of migratory fowl that fly to warmer climes during the European winter.
Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda put veterinary experts on high alert and imposed new bans or strengthened existing restrictions on poultry and wild bird imports.
Experts have warned that poverty-stricken African nations whose populations are already at risk from hunger and vulnerable immune systems could be overwhelmed if the virus appears and jumps to humans.
Nigeria said it had sent vets to its northern wetlands to inspect migrating birds for signs of H5N1.
Pamphlets have been prepared to warn farmers of the danger, poultry imports from infected countries will be banned and quarantine rules are set to be stiffened.
A union representing Greek meat sellers said sales of poultry had plummeted 60 to 70 percent since Monday due to the bird flu crisis.
In France, a national federation of supermarket chains said sales of poultry had dropped 20 percent in five days.
Albanian television said about 3,600 chickens imported from Greece had been buried alive -- thrown into a pit and covered by a bulldozer without any disinfection process -- because of bird flu fears.
In Australia, authorities banned imports of birds from Canada after a scare caused by three pigeons certified as healthy by Canadian officials which tested positive for avian flu antibodies.
Hong Kong said Friday it was monitoring the outbreak of bird flu in China after warning it may close the border with the mainland if the virus begins infecting humans there. China announced its first reported outbreak of bird flu in more than two months on Wednesday.
In Washington the US Senate directed the Transportation Department to take proper precautions to deal with the possibility of an airline passenger flying into the United States infected with the virus.
Mexico said it was earmarking 46 million euros to buy vaccines.