News

27 Feb 2004 -- Bangkok — Despite the fact that the number of infected countries has not increased since the beginning of February, after two months of control measures the situation of the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 is still not under control, according to animal health experts and scientists gathered in Bangkok for the Emergency regional meeting on Avian Influenza control in animals in Asia. The three-day meeting, co-sponsored by the FAO and [more...]

25 Feb 2004 -- International emergency meeting in BangkokRome – New outbreaks of avian influenza are still occuring in some Asian countries, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said today, stressing the need for continued control campaigns and tighter bio-security. Countries affected by the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus are Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Laos, Thailand and Viet Nam. A less virulent virus was reported in Pakistan”The situation in some countries [more...]

24 Feb 2004 -- Bangkok - A high-level roundtable in Bangkok concluded today with a call on national leaders and regional economic groups to join hands with civil society, international organizations and donors to coordinate their efforts to overcome the problem of hunger and rural poverty in Asia and the Pacific.Notwithstanding high economic growth, increasing per capita income and agricultural productivity in the Asia-Pacific region, and despite the success of many countries in reducing [more...]

17 Feb 2004 -- Meeting on avian influenza control in animals in Asia Bangkok, 26 to 28 FebruaryBangkok – The present bird flu emergency can not be considered under control as long as new spreading and recurrence of the disease is taking place in far off places in the Asian region. FAO and OIE are calling an emergency technical meeting on the control and eradication of avian influenza in animals in Asia – to [more...]

13 Feb 2004 -- Bangkok, 13 February 2004 -- The spread of the avian influenza virus in several Asian countries is still not under control, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Cambodia, China, Indonesia and Laos continue to report new outbreaks in poultry, FAO said in a statement issued today. Thailand has reported no new outbreaks. FAO called upon countries to remain vigilant as further outbreaks continue to occur. To date, [more...]

06 Feb 2004 -- Bangkok/Rome – The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said on Friday that it had no evidence at this stage that swine were involved in transmission of the H5N1 influenza virus and the spread of the avian influenza epidemic.“At this time we have seen no data that would indicate that pigs are in any way involved in spreading the current strain of H5N1 influenza virus,” said FAO’s Peter Roeder, [more...]

04 Feb 2004 -- Bangkok – Despite massive efforts to stamp out the virulent avian influenza virus, the disease continues to spread in poultry producing areas in some Asian countries, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said today. China has informed FAO that outbreaks occurred in 12 out of the country’s 31 provinces. China has asked the UN agency for emergency technical assistance. In response, an epidemiologist will arrive in Beijing soon to [more...]

03 Feb 2004 -- Bangkok – Cambodia, Laos, Pakistan and Viet Nam will receive emergency assistance from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in support of their battle against the virulent avian flu virus. The emergency aid package, requested by the four countries, amounts to a total of $1.6 million, FAO said in a statement today.Poorer countries often lack the necessary expertise and technical means to handle a crisis of such a dimension [more...]

02 Feb 2004 -- Bangkok – The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is seriously concerned about new outbreaks of bird flu in Asia. “Bird flu remains a serious public and animal health threat and continues to spread”, FAO said in a statement issued today. “The eruption of new infection cases in Thailand, China and Vietnam shows that the disease is far from being under control,” FAO said. FAO will send an Australian epidemiologist [more...]

30 Jan 2004 -- Bangkok – The success of eradication of bird flu in affected countries in Asia heavily depends on mass cullings, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said today.“Mass cullings in affected areas are currently considered as the most effective way of stamping out the highly contagious virus that has so far hit 10 countries in Asia,” said Hans Wagner, senior animal production and health officer. “We are, however, concerned that [more...]