Bird flu early warning system to be developed, led by UN

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Main Category: Bird Flu / Avian Flu
Also Included In: Flu / Cold / SARS
Article Date: 21 Nov 2005 - 4:00 PDT

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Nairobi, Kenya - The UN will lead an early warning system whereby countries can be alerted to the passage of possibly infected migrating birds.

The CMS (Convention on Migratory Species) aims to have the system up and running within two years. UNEP will pay for the system to be set up.

Robert Hepworth, of CMS, said "We will, with UNEP and other partners, be treating the development of this early warning system as a matter of priority. To fully realize it may take two years. But we know that it is needed and we know that the issue of avian flu and similar infections is likely to be a long term one. So such a system should be useful not only over the short but over the long term too. We hope it will be particularly useful in developing countries which are under particular pressure to make the best use of limited resources."

Countries will have maps illustrating most likely places (birds may settle) such as most likely nesting places, lakes, wetlands, marshes and estuaries.

Currently, this kind of information is help by hundreds of organisations around the world, each organisation possessing separate bits of data. The aim of the project is to collect all their information into one database. The information, once collected, will be placed onto maps, making it much easier for countries to deal with potential threats.

Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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