WHO outlines global bird flu strategy

A global campaign to combat the emergence of a new influenza pandemic will take the positive experience of an earlier outbreak in 1997 as evidence that a mutated H5N1 virus could be contained before it assumed pandemic pro-portions. The approach combines the use of antiviral drugs and non-pharmacologic measures such as isolation, reduc-ing workplace contacts and by social distancing. Keiji Fukada, the World Health Organization's acting coordi-nator of the Global Influenza Program presented the agency's rapid response and containment strategy at a press briefing in the WHO's Geneva, Switzerland head-quarters on March 10. The briefing reported on a gathering of technical experts in Geneva in early March, at which it had been claimed that there was a dispute over the primacy of antiviral drugs in the WHO's policy.

Hong Kong stopped H5N1 outbreak in 1997

Dr Fukada outlined the basis for the WHO's strategy by referring to the success of the Hong Kong authorities in 1997 to contain the avian flu virus by culling 1.5 million birds. He told a gathering of journalists: "as soon as the culling was done, there were no more human cases in Hong Kong, and that was proof of the principle that you could take public health action, you can really stop some-thing before it really continues to escalate."