FAO warns of threat of influenza virus

For UN agency recommendation is constant vigilance
Agency for Brazil

( FAO maintains constant vigilance to prevent contagion by bird flu - Photo : Ulises Ruiz Basurto / EFE )

The Organization for Food and Agriculture ( FAO ) has warned the international community today ( 16 ) on the threat of avian influenza viruses H7N9 and H5N1 , due to the proximity of the flu season .

" We must maintain constant vigilance ," said the director of the department of Veterinary FAO , Juan Lubroth , in a joint meeting with the United States Agency for International Development ( whose acronym is USAID ) , the World Health Organization ( WHO ) and the World Organisation for Animal Health ( OIE ) .

The alert Lubroth gives particular emphasis to the H7N9 virus , which causes no clinical signs in animals and is therefore very difficult to detect in poultry. To improve the response to this virus , FAO has allocated $ 2 million in emergency funds , who were joined by another $ 5 million from USAID .

Today , FAO and USAID emphasized the need to continue to work, in particular continuous monitoring throughout the system of production and marketing and the development of contingency plans and compensation mechanisms .

" The emergence of the H7N9 virus reminds us that new disease threats are not an exception , but a predictable consequence that results from the relationship between humans and animals ," said the director of the Program for Emerging Threats USAID , Dennis Carroll .

In the long-term combat against H7N9 and other viruses , FAO and USAID call for countries to invest in order to improve the marketing and sale of birds .

According to WHO , since it was detected in China in February, the bird flu virus has infected at least 135 people, of whom 44 died . All cases occurred in Chinese territory , except one , registered in Taiwan .

The avian influenza virus long existed in wild birds , but usually do not cause disease in humans, although in rare cases there are mutations . The strains of subtypes of avian influenza virus H5 , H7 and H9 have caused human infections , especially after direct contact with infected birds .

None of the mutated strains that become easily transmissible between people, which would be a nightmare for epidemiologists . The best known strain H5N1 is that caused 633 confirmed cases in people in 15 countries between 2003 and July this year, of which 377 have died - which represents a mortality rate of about 60%.

Source : Globo Rural magazine .