Are current outbreaks in poultry significant?
The current outbreak of HPAI that began in South East Asia in mid-2003 is the largest and most severe on record. Never before in history have so many countries been simultaneously affected resulting in the loss of so many birds. The H5N1 virus is the causative agent and has proved to be very tenacious despite efforts to limit or destroy the virus. H5N1 is now considered endemic in parts of Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, China, Thailand and probably Laos. Control of this disease is expected to take several years.
