SOUTH ASIA LEARNING TO LIVE WITH BIRD FLU

AUTHORITIES NOW BELIEVE IT WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE TO ERADICATE

From The Khaleej Times : "Bird flu is spreading across one of the most crowded places on earth and, far from being brought under control, (it) looks almost certain to remain a long-term menace in South Asian poultry, officials say.

"Since February, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Myanmar have culled hundreds of thousands of chickens and shut poultry farms, yet the virus has kept spreading to new areas.

"But fears over the H5N1 flu virus have slashed demand for chicken meat and eggs, ruining the livelihoods of countless workers in India�s $7.8 billion poultry industry and even leading to the suicides of nine Indian farmers, an industry group said.

T"he World Health Organisation (WHO) and some Indian officials say that once the virus takes hold in any country -- developed or not -- it is just about impossible to eradicate.

"In a region where many have little or no access to stretched health services, a mutated strain could spread rapidly among humans, leaving countless numbers of people to fend for themselves.

"While officials might feel a sense of crisis, the reaction of many ordinary people is slowly turning from panic to cautious resignation.

"In a region of more than 1.3 billion people, bird flu is just one of many threats they face as they try to overcome poverty, the danger of other illnesses, militancy and natural disasters.

"In Pakistan, a small number of people, mostly in cities, have stopped eating chickens but the majority seems indifferent to the disease and chicken sales are largely normal."