Top officials of the World Health Organization (WHO) urged Asian countries to defend themselves against possibly pandemic virus of bird flu, the WHO said here in a press release Wednesday.

Shigeru Omi, the head of the WHO's western Pacific region office alerted countries in the region to be ready to respond immediately to any signs of the emergence of a pandemic strain of the H5N1 virus, saying the virus may come along with cases of bird flu, which is deadly to human health.

While emphasizing that there was no actual indication of a pandemic beginning, Omi said "countries should do everything possible to be ready for such an event."

"Unlike the influenza pandemics of the past, this time the world has been given a warning that one may be on its way. We should use this precious time to be ready to counter-attack and try to stop any sign of a pandemic in its tracks," Omi noted.

He made the statement on the eve of a meeting in Tokyo, Japan designed to identify the measures that need to be put in place to enable countries in Asia to respond rapidly to the emergence of an influenza virus strain with pandemic potential.

Swift and aggressive measures might be enough to contain a potential pandemic at its source or at least slow its spread, the WHO said in the press release.

The measures would include the use of antiviral drugs for mass prophylaxis, plus possible public health measures such as quarantine and social distancing, the WHO added.

Source: Xinhua