Birdflu Mailing List: Wild birds spread avian flu?

[William Weir (weirwilliam]

ROME, May 31 (Reuters) - The role of wild birds in spreading
the deadly avian influenza remains unclear, a top veterinary

expert at the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said on

Wednesday after a two-day international scientific conference.

    The virus primarily hits birds but it has killed 127 people

around the world since it re-emerged in Asia in late 2003.

    As the deadly H5N1 virus spread rapidly in the past six

months from Asia into parts of the Middle East, Europe and

Africa, specialists have been trying to work out how it travels.

    Some suggest wild migrating birds are the main carriers,

others point to poultry trade as the major force behind the

virus's spread.

    "Do we have a permanent reservoir (of the virus) in wild

birds or not? It still remains a question," FAO's Chief of

Animal Health Services Joseph Domenech told Reuters after the

conference attended by over 300 scientists from 100 countries.

    He said one of the main achievements of the conference,

organised by FAO and World Animal Health Organisation (OIE), was

to get together people from different sectors -- from poultry

trade to wildlife experts and policy makers -- and start the

discussion about how bird flu travels on long distances.

    "We have identified the gaps and the need to continue and

intensify research, in particular with regards to the species

which can be involved (in spreading the virus)", Domenech said.

    He said global surveillance of wild birds should be boosted

to gather more information.

    Many countries around the world are on alert for bird flu,

especially after the recent flurry of human cases in Indonesia,

as they fear it may mutate into one that spreads easily among

people and trigger a pandemic, killing millions.

    ((Reporting by Svetlana Kovalyova; Reuters Messaging:

svetlana.kovalyova.reuters.com [at] reuters.net; email

svetlana.kovalyova [at] reuters.com; Tel: +39 02 6612 9450))