WHO urges China to move fast against bird flu | Globe and Mail

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WHO urges China to move fast against bird flu
Associated Press

Bangkok, Thailand — Warning the chance to contain bird flu might be disappearing, the World Health Organization urged China to take swifter action Saturday as the world's most populous country reported two new suspected outbreaks.

Asian governments, meanwhile, sought to reassure the public that the virus was under control and poultry was safe to consume if properly cooked.

The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization appealed for international aid to provide farmers with compensation, saying otherwise they may resist slaughtering their flocks, a crucial measure in stamping out the disease and preventing a human outbreak.

“We are ... concerned that mass culling is not taking place at a speed we consider absolutely necessary to contain the virus,” said Hans Wagner, an animal production and health officer at the FAO.

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