EU to announce extra funds as experts discuss ways to stop pandemic

THE EU increased its contribution to the fund to flight bird flu to €100 million yesterday as experts met in Beijing to discuss ways of tackling the disease.

They hope to raise about €1 billion to help the poorest countries fight the flu and its effects that is currently devastating poultry flocks in several countries across Asia and has killed at least 79 people.

Announcements by health officials that they have found the seventh mutation of the bird flu virus has heightened concern as experts say just ten mutations in total will see it become a human virus.