New WHO Director speaks of Avian flu

Dr Margaret Chan, the new director general of the World Health Organisation, addressed the subject of avian flu in her address to the 120th Executive Board session of the WHO on 22nd January 2007.

"The message is straightforward: we must not let down our guard. The whole world has lived under the imminent threat of an influenza pandemic for more than three years. These years of experience have taught us just how tenacious this H5N1 virus is in birds.
Countries have made heroic efforts, yet the virus stays put or comes back, again and again. Almost no country with large outbreaks in commercial or backyard flocks has successfully eliminated this virus from its territory.
As long as the virus continues to circulate in birds, the threat of a pandemic will persist. The world is years away from control in the agricultural sector.
This may mean that we have some more years in which to improve preparedness, or it may not. Influenza viruses are notoriously sloppy, unstable, and capricious. It is impossible to predict their behaviour.
But we do know some things. The virus does not, at present, transmit easily from birds to humans. H5N1 avian influenza is still essentially a disease of birds.
For humans, we also know that this virus has lost none of its virulence. As of today, 267 cases have been confirmed, of which 161 were fatal, representing a case fatality rate of 60%. More deaths occurred in 2006 than in the previous years combined. For 2006, the case fatality rate was 70%.
We are clearly much better prepared than three years ago, but have every reason to continue these efforts. The revised International Health Regulations come into force in June. That will help. You have a resolution before you that calls for routine and timely sharing of biological materials related to novel influenza viruses. That will help as well."