Bangladesh will have to engage in a long-term strategic campaign against the highly pathogenic avian influenza in order to get the disease under control, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said on Monday.

Describing the outbreak of the H5N1 birdflu virus as "serious," FAO chief veterinary officer Joseph Domenech said that the current situation in the country "will require further national engagement and coordinated international support."

"Bangladesh has a real chance to get the virus under control if it commits itself to a full-scale comprehensive national control campaign," Domenech said, adding FAO's assistance and further international aid will be essential for the country to face the huge challenge.

The Asian country has witnessed a fast spreading of the virus recently, with 11 out of its 64 districts caught by the epidemic. The first officially announced case of avian influenza in Bangladesh occurred in February this year.

In response to recent outbreaks, the Bangladesh government and veterinary authorities have applied immediate control and containment measures in affected areas.

Besides, the country has already prepared a National Avian Influenza and Human Pandemic Preparedness Plan and an Emergency Operational Plan to meet the threat of the disease.

However, the preparation so far is far from enough in the eyes of FAO.

"There is an urgent need for vigorously stepping up and extending current H5N1 control campaigns in order to prevent the virus becoming widely entrenched," Domenech said.

FAO recommended that Bangladesh apply a strategic approach toward the control of the H5N1 virus, ensuring efficient coordination of all control activities carried out by more than 60 district rapid response teams.

This would entail central coordination and management of campaigns by a national control center in Dhaka, it said.

The ways the virus is being spread need to be carefully assessed. FAO recommended that potential virus spread throughout the market chain, for example through the collection of eggs and distribution of day-old chicks and feed, should be investigated.

Bangladesh is the second country in South Asia, which has been affected by the H5N1 virus this year.

Bangladesh has about 220 million chickens and 37 million ducks. Five million people are directly employed by the poultry industry and millions of households rely on poultry production for income and nutrition.

Source: Xinhua