The U. N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has said that it will take about 10 more years to eliminate H5N1 (bird flu) virus from the poultry in the six countries. The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) has found an outburst of virus from these countries. The six countries mentioned by the FAO includes; Bangladesh, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia and Vietnam.

The OIE and FAO had jointly developed a Global Strategy for Prevention and Control of H5N1 known as HPAI. The HPAI has benefited many countries in terms of direct disease control, farm detection systems, capacity building, vaccines, vaccination strategies and prevention measures that have kept the disease out.

Culling of farm animals to prevent the onset of bird flu had become a major issue. Various programs were launched by FAO to address the problems of bird flu. In most of the countries H5N1 has spread because of the poor veterinary and livestock production services and poor management of infection. The FAO will provide a consistent engagement and support and a long-term approach to these six countries at risk.

The poultry owners are advised to include strict standards of good hygienic practices at both production and marketing ends to protect their animals from bird flu.