AR-News: (Malaysia) Asia's fowl mess

[Animalara2003 at aol.com]

Comment
Manjit Bhatia 
1:01pm Tue Feb 10th, 2004 


China, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Pakistan, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, 
Cambodia, Indonesia: infected. False alarm in Hamburg. Australian authorities search 
and destroy customs declared or smuggled foodstuff, plants and birds. People 
are dying in Vietnam and Thailand. Chickens, too, by the millions, either of 
disease or of culling to prevent the spread of disease.
Once again, avian influenza is causing havoc in Asia. As the World Health 
Organisation (WHO) warned against creating panic, experts rushed to meet in Rome 
to find ways to stop the virus from mutating and spreading to general 
populations. And as governments and health officials grapple with this latest 
outbreak, one fact is already well known: Asia is a breeding ground for animal-borne 
disease that can spread to humans.
A big problem is tendencies by Asian governments, notably China, Thailand and 
Indonesia, to block efficient communication about outbreaks of new diseases, 
preventing early action against epidemics. Lack of transparency only 
aggravates the basic problem of how these diseases get started.



full story:

http://www.malaysiakini.com/opinionsfeatures/200402100041539.php 

"The world is a dangerous place,
not because of those who do evil,
but because of those who look on and do nothing.",
Albert Einstein
      /\   /\         
>' .' <   
                              
There is no justice, just us!  










    
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