By Alicia Karapetian on 3/19/2008 for Meatingplace.com
The prevalence of avian influenza in Indonesia remains serious despite containment efforts undertaken by national authorities and the international community, and the intense virus circulation could cause the virus to mutate and create a human pandemic, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations warned on Wednesday.
"I am deeply concerned that the high level of virus circulation in birds in the country could create conditions for the virus to mutate and to finally cause a human influenza pandemic," FAO Chief Veterinary Officer Joseph Domenech said in a statement.
Avian influenza has become deeply entrenched in Indonesia with 31 out of 33 provinces infected.
"We have also observed that new H5N1 avian influenza virus strains have recently emerged, creating the possibility that vaccines currently in use may not be fully protecting poultry against the disease," Domenech said.
Major donors, such as the United States, Australia, Japan and the Netherlands, together with FAO, have so far invested more than $25 million in supporting Indonesian control efforts.
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