Colorized transmission electron micrograph of avian influenza A H5N1 viruses, in gold, grown in MDCK cells, in green. Photo: Cynthia Goldsmith (CDC/Wikipedia)

Several South Asian countries affected by highly pathogenic avian influenza plan to coordinate efforts to improve the control of the virus.

The governments of India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and a Southeast Asian country, Myanmar, will participate in a regional meeting to determine how avian influenza control campaigns can be conducted more effectively.

The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which is hosting the meeting in collaboration with the World Organisation for Animal Health, the OIE, expects the meeting to take place this month. The FAO said that it was important to bring together the chief veterinary officers of the different countries. The meeting will be held in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Elsewhere, the FAO has commended India for controlling the worst outbreak in the country so far in the state of west Bengal. However, it urged authorities to continue intensive surveillance in high-risk areas, as the possibility of new outbreaks remained high....

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