- BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) --
After killing millions of chickens and ducks across Asia, bird flu is feared
to have jumped to more exotic species, possibly killing a leopard and cranes
in Thailand and pheasants in Taiwan.
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- The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation warned that
the disease - which has killed 14 people in Vietnam and five in Thailand
- still has not been controlled in several Asian countries.
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- "Cambodia, China, Indonesia and Laos continue to
report new outbreaks in poultry," FAO said.
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- Around 80 million chickens have been slaughtered in Asia,
excluding China, to curb bird flu's spread, it said.
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- In Thailand, Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment
Prapat Panyachatraksa said today tests showed that a clouded leopard died
of bird flu on January 27 at Khao Khiew Zoo in Chonburi province, 70 km
south of Bangkok.
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- The World Health Organisation (WHO) said that if confirmed
it could be the first known case of the disease found in an exotic animal
or a member of the cat family.
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- Two separate tests showed the leopard had succumbed to
bird flu, but the exact strain was unclear, Prapat said. Officials were
awaiting the results of a third test.
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- A zoo official said the leopard might have eaten chicken
infected with bird flu.
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- Prapat also announced that tests were being carried out
on more than 200 cranes that died at Bungboraphet Bird Park in Nakhon Sawan
province, 210 km north of Bangkok.
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- In Taiwan, officials ordered a pet-bird farm in Taiwan's
southern Tainan County to kill about 300 birds, including Swinhoe's pheasants
- a once-endangered indigenous bird with a short white crest and a blue
head.
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- The culling was ordered after test results showed some
of the birds were infected with H5N2, a less dangerous strain of bird flu
that has not jumped to humans.
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- Ten governments in the region have been dealing with
strains of bird flu since South Korean officials reported an outbreak in
December. Some Asian countries and the United States, are being hit with
a milder bird flu strain not thought to pose a danger to people.
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- FAO said governments in poorer countries have responded
slowly to fight bird flu because of a lack of resources, such as qualified
veterinary staff.
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- "In addition, the urgently required administrative
and political structures to run an effective emergency campaign are often
not yet in place," it said.
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- Today the World Bank said it would give Vietnam a $US10
million ($12.71 million) loan to help its poultry industry, which has been
ravaged by the flu.
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- WHO officials have expressed concern that China may also
be suffering human cases given the broad range of poultry infections in
that sprawling country, which has confirmed avian flu in 14 of its 31 regions.
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- China's Agriculture Ministry reported confirmed bird
flu outbreaks in fowl in seven more locations, including Shanghai today.
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- The cases were confirmed in Nanhui, an eastern suburb
of Shanghai; in two places in south-western China's Yunnan province; in
the north-eastern city of Tianjin; and in three places in Guangdong province.
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- Health experts say that eating properly cooked poultry
meat and eggs poses no danger, because heat kills the virus.
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- Japan, itself struck by an outbreak, last month banned
all poultry products from Thailand and China - two of its biggest suppliers
- because of outbreaks in those countries.
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- But Today, Tokyo said it was would resume imports of
heat-treated chicken products from China if its plants meet Japanese hygiene
standards, a day after doing the same for Thailand.
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- Copyright 2003 News Limited.
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- http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,8679527%255E1702,00.html
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