World Better Equipped to Fight Flu Pandemic, UN Says

A top United Nations official says the world’s response to the bird flu threats has improved our readiness to deal with a potential influenza pandemic. But that doesn’t mean we’ve eliminated the risk of a pandemic.

 Reuters says David Nabarro, the UN’s influenza coordinator, told reporters at a press conference that “there has been an extraordinary global response to ... the spread of the virus ... that has meant that now the continuous transmission of this virus is only occurring in four, perhaps five countries.”

However, Nabarro warned that the risk of a pandemic remains, particularly if the H5N1 avian influenza strain mutates into a form that is easily transmitted between humans. He said the UN is most concerned about Indonesia, which has the most human cases, and also about Vietnam, Bangladesh and Egypt.

Elsewhere, he added, “the situation is really improving. Countries generally have invested massively in improving the functioning of their veterinary services, and also the security ... around which poultry are reared has generally improved.”

Which countries have responded well to outbreaks? Nabarro cited South Korea and Britain as examples of countries that responded vigorously to recent bird flu outbreaks. He added that the world is now much better prepared than it was in 2005 to cope with a possible pandemic, with about 160 nations having plans in place.