An international panel of experts has rejected the notion that
China's vaccination program has caused the bird flu virus to
mutate.
The experts from the World Health Organization, the UN's Food
and Agriculture Organization and the World Organization for Animal
Health, told Xinhua the "Fujian-like virus" is actually not a new
strain and was identified in 2005.
It relates to the bird flu virus extracted from poultry samples
in 2004, according to the panel.
The mutation of influenza virus is a natural process. There is
no scientific evidence backing the theory that H5N1 bird flu virus
has evolved as a result of China's vaccination program, it
said.
A scientific paper released by the U.S. Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences identified a strain of bird flu virus
found in southern China, Malaysia and Laos, calling it a
"Fujian-like virus", adding that it was vaccine resistant.
WHO officials have previously criticized the naming process of
different strains saying it stigmatized particular countries and
regions.
David Heymann, interim WHO director who participated in the
panel which held discussions from Dec. 4 to 8, expressed
appreciation of China's cooperative efforts in fighting the
disease.
"A Chinese virus has been used in this network (the WHO
collaborating network) to develop what is called the prototype
vaccine for pandemic influenza," he said. "So China has contributed
significantly and internationally."
The panel suggested China and other countries further monitor
the virus mutation and vaccination on small-scale farms.
(Xinhua News Agency December 11, 2006)