WASHINGTON and BANGKOK, Thailand, Jan. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- The success of eradication of bird flu in affected countries in Asia heavily depends on mass culling, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said today.
“Mass culling in affected areas is 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 mass culling is not taking place at a speed we consider absolutely necessary to contain the virus H5N1 in the region. Compensation is often a limiting factor. As long as small farmers and commercial producers, especially in poorer countries, do not receive an adequate financial incentive for killing their chickens, they will probably not apply suggested emergency measures,” he said.
“Many of these small poultry producers are dependent on selling their chickens and eggs on local markets to earn a daily income. The fear of losing their animals without some kind of compensation is a real threat to them, which governments and the international community urgently need to address,” Wagner said.
Poorer countries in particular would need international financial assistance and advice to address the problem, FAO said.
The campaign against avian flu can only be successful if we convince poultry farmers in all affected countries to apply drastic emergency measures such as culling, the FAO expert said.
“There is a real threat that the virus may linger on in poorer countries which are without adequate resources to apply control measures,” he added.
To date, more than 25 million birds have been culled in the campaign against avian flu.
UN Food and Agriculture Organization
CONTACT: Michael Hage of FAO Media Relations, +1-202-653-0011, ormichael.hage@fao.org
Web site: http://www.fao.org/