Bird Flu Epidemic Now Under Control in Asia - OIE
(Ed Cropley/Reuters News Service -March 15, 2004 )

Asia's bird flu epidemic, which has killed millions of chickens and at least 22 people, is under control although the deadly virus might linger for months, the head of the world animal health body said last week.

"The situation now is improving in all infected countries," Bernard Vallat, head of the Paris-based World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), told Reuters. "The epidemic is very much under control."

Previous outbreaks of bird flu in Europe and the United States took six months to bring to heel and Vallat cautioned against excessive optimism in Asia, saying the highly virulent H5N1 birdflu strain probably would be around for months.