Bird flu could spell national disaster: PM Khai<\/p>\n
Agence France-Presse, Hanoi<\/p>\n
Vietnam's Prime Minister Phan Van Khai has warned that bird flu
\ncould spell national "disaster" and said tardy health officials
\nwould be punished for failing to stem poultry outbreaks, the
\nstate press said on Sunday.<\/p>\n
"If we let a human pandemic occur, it would be a huge disaster
\nfor the nation," Khai was quoted as saying by the communist party
\nnewspaper Nhan Dan at a government meeting on avian influenza on
\nSaturday.<\/p>\n
"The risk of a human pandemic would be very high if avian
\ninfluenza is not checked in a timely manner in the country," he
\nsaid. "The epidemic (among poultry) is continuing to break out
\nand become more and more serious."<\/p>\n
Vietnam, a country of 82 million people, has suffered 42 human
\ndeaths from bird flu -- the highest number of any country -- and
\nis experiencing its third avian influenza season since late 2003.<\/p>\n
Khai also threatened disciplinary action against officials in
\nareas which had poorly managed the epidemic that has spread among
\nbirds in more than a quarter of Vietnam's 64 provinces and cities
\nsince early October.<\/p>\n
"There has been tardiness and inefficiency in the fight
\nagainst bird flu in several localities," the premier said,
\ndeploring poor supervision by provincial authorities.<\/p>\n
About one million birds have been culled since early October,
\nand poultry markets have been shut down in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh
\nCity and other urban centers.<\/p>\n
Khai said the government would share with farmers the cost of
\nculling poultry. He also announced a bird flu information
\ncampaign.<\/p>\n
Vietnam has said it will spend another US$82 million to fight
\nbird flu. The country estimates it will need $50 million in
\nforeign aid, of which it has so far received $10 million.<\/p>\n
Across Asia nearly 70 people have died of bird flu, according
\nto the World Health Organization, with China the latest country
\nto announce a fatality. Deaths have also occurred in Cambodia,
\nIndonesia and Thailand.<\/p>\n
Scientists fear the virus could mutate and combine with human
\nflu variants, making it easily transmissible among humans and
\ncreating a global pandemic.<\/p>",
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