Vaccinate poultry to curb spread of flu, warn experts

WORLD health experts yesterday recommended that a poultry vaccination campaign be launched to control the spread of a bird flu epidemic, which has claimed the lives of 17 people in Asia.

The recommendation was issued along with warnings from a top UN official that an urgent response was needed to put a halt to the epidemic that has struck in 10 Asian countries.

“A targeted vaccination campaign for poultry at risk of being infected by the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus may be required in heavily affected countries to control the further spread of the epidemic,” the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said in a statement.