WHO probes China's reported use of flu drug on birds

BEIJING - The World Health Organisation is seeking clarification from China about reports it urged farmers to use a human anti-viral drug to treat birds infected with a deadly strain of avian flu, breaking international guidelines.

Scientists fear the bird flu, which is infectious in birds but does not spread easily among humans, could mutate into a form capable of generating a pandemic in which millions of people without immunity could die.

The Washington Post reported on Saturday that Chinese farmers, acting with government encouragement, had tried to suppress major bird flu outbreaks among chickens with amantadine, possibly making it useless in fighting human influenza.

"We would certainly be seeking more information on this topic and would hope to have more clarification from China on this issue," said Roy Wadia, a spokesman for WHO in China.

"The use of drugs, not just in China but also around the world, should be carefully monitored and we have seen over the years that improper administration of medication or drugs can lead to drug resistance in the case of other diseases." He declined to comment further.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation also declined to comment.

Researchers had determined that the H5N1 bird flu strain in Vietnam and Thailand had become resistant to amantadine, the Post said, adding they suspected it had been due to the drug's use on farms.

The Post, quoting international researchers, said the drug would no longer protect people in case of a worldwide avian flu epidemic.

The WHO has said the virus that first surfaced in poultry in Hong Kong and China eight years ago is "unstable, unpredictable and very versatile".

It has killed at least 37 people in Vietnam, 12 in Thailand and four in Cambodia.

China has culled thousands of birds this year to curb the spread of the disease.

- REUTERS