Africa more vulnerable to flu than Europe

ROME - East Africa is more vulnerable to bird flu than Europe and its lack of preparedness causes grave concern, a UN food agency expert has said.

Joseph Domenech, veterinary chief at the Food and Agriculture Organisation, said the wild bird migratory patterns that had brought the virus to Turkey and Romania ended in East Africa, making it likely the disease would arrive there.

"There are big worries with regard to eastern Africa," Domenech said.

Those worries were directly linked to fears that the underdeveloped East African countries such as Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia and Somalia were totally unprepared to cope with the arrival of the virus.

"If the disease comes into this region it will be very difficult to have an appropriate early response and early detection such as you saw in Turkey," he said.

Domenech said Africa's poorest countries were also unlikely to be able to afford to stockpile the expensive anti-viral drugs that the richer European countries are buying to help limit a human pandemic.

"The question is how do you prevent the spread of a new pandemic when you are waiting for vaccines," he said.

Turkey and Romania have discovered cases of the deadly H5N1 strain. They have since staged mass culls of poultry and are keeping large areas under surveillance.

No human cases have been reported in Europe, but more than 60 people have died from H5N1 in Asia, the most likely epicentre of any human pandemic.

Europe had shown it was able to act "appropriately and immediately", Domenech said.

- REUTERS