中國：不要懷疑我嘛 ?蹪根據日前報導，英國一份科學週刊認為，在亞洲蔓延的禽流感，可能早在一年前已在中國南方出現。《新科學人》雜誌引述衛生專家表示，中國官方隱瞞情況，加上農業運作出現問題，令禽流感病毒擴散。

對此說法，中國大陸農業部副部長齊景發昨日（ 29日）特別站出來對媒體予以否認，他說，這根本純粹是臆測。齊景發目前人正在曼谷參加由泰國主辦的「部長級禽流感現況會議」。由於《新科學人》刊載，「禽流感疫情可能會帶來比SARS更嚴重的威脅，且疫情始於中國」的說法，再加上中國政府過去在處理SARS疫情時的紀錄不良，各國莫不對此消息感到憂心忡忡。

亞洲國家在曼谷召開緊急會議，討論如何合作撲滅各國禽流感疫情的同時，中國方面證實，大陸有 3個省的農場也傳出禽流感疫情。1997年香港爆發禽流感的經驗，促使中國農民開始為飼養的家禽全面施打一種非活動性的H5N1病毒疫苗。《新科學人》報導說，這種做法可能是一大錯誤，因為，疫苗與不斷突變的流感病毒有可能產生輕微基因錯配，當大陸家禽的免疫系統無法摧毀這種錯配的病毒時，就會爆發嚴重的後果。現在出現如此嚴重的禽流感疫情，正是以H5N1病毒形式到處流竄，也難怪各國會以懷疑的眼光打量中國。

此間，中國國家主席胡錦濤與總理溫家寶則呼籲各國提供金錢和人才方面的援助，共同對抗禽流感疫情。中國領導人特別在電視上強調，必須將禽流感疫情控制住在局部地區，以避免對人類的健康帶來威脅。

至於 SARS疫情報發源地的廣東省，當地衛生官員表示，目前尚未發現有禽流感個案，但果真不幸出現個案的話，將會考慮實行中央屠宰家禽，以便監控疫情發展。而日前發現禽流感疫情的湖北省則宣稱，武穴市目前已被初步控制。廣西省隆安縣當局也發表類似說法。China, the birthplace of SARS, denied Thursday it was responsible for the bird flu which has killed at least eight people in a rapid sweep across Asia.

"It's purely a guess, a groundless guess," Chinese Vice Agriculture Minister Qi Jingfa told reporters in Bangkok after an emergency meeting of the 10 countries hit by the virulent virus which has killed six people in Vietnam and two in Thailand.

"We have had very strict surveillance," Qi said when asked about a report by the British weekly New Scientist which said experts suspected the new strain of bird flu, which could be a greater threat than SARS, began in China.

The magazine also quoted World Health Organization official Klaus Stohr as saying samples taken early last year "turned out to be this strain exactly" of the H5N1 virus.

But he would not say where the samples came from as experts fretted the virus might combine with a human host with ordinary flu to produce a new strain that could spread like wildfire through a human population with no immunity to it.

Although the chances of that happening are small, each new outbreak reduces the odds a little that such a new strain could emerge and set off a killer pandemic.

China has reported three bird flu outbreaks in three different areas and, like most affected countries, is slaughtering domestic fowl by the tens of thousands in hopes of stamping the virus out.

Asian countries still free of the virus are erecting strong defenses and the Europe, having already banned poultry imports from affected countries, went a step further, banning exotic pet birds from Southeast Asia.

A Hong Kong scientist added to fears by saying the unusually large number of ducks dying from bird flu in southern China indicated the bug has become more virulent, which would put more people at risk of contracting it.

"H5 viruses are generally less fatal to ducks, so it is uncommon for so many ducks to die. This means this particular H5N1 strain has become more virulent," said virologist Leo Poon from the University of Hong Kong.

"This means it can cause extensive deaths in poultry and this may in turn increase the chance of more people contracting it."

世界衛生組織的官員上週三與各大藥廠及國際實驗室舉行會談，目的是希望能夠發展對抗禽流感的疫苗，以減輕對疫情蔓延的恐懼。

目前世界衛生組織的官員最擔憂的是， H5N1禽流感病毒可能會和人類的流行性感冒混在一起，而導致更嚴重的疫情產生。目前並沒有證據顯示，禽流感會在人與人之間相互傳染。

台灣疾病管制局長蘇益仁表示，關於人傳人的情況，最可能的途徑是，由禽類傳染到豬隻，再由豬身上發生禽流感病毒與人流感病毒組合現象，進而衍生全新的病毒。果真如此，在人類還沒有對禽流感病毒具備免疫力和抵抗力的情況下， 1918年西班牙爆發流感，引起全球大流行，造成數千萬人喪命的厄運恐將再現。也因此，豬隻感染流感，一直是流行病學非常重視的監測對象。

根據世界衛生組織表示，目前已有 11家藥廠表示將協助開發人類禽流感疫苗。世界衛生組織「全球流行性感冒監控網絡」底下的實驗室，目前正加緊發展原型H5N1禽流感病毒，但估計也要花一個月的時間才有可能完成這項工作。加上藥廠量產需要半年左右的時間，因此，即使在「最理想」狀況下，至少要等上6至7個月，疫苗才能正式問世。由於禽流感病毒蔓延的速度相當快速，使得疫苗研發的相關工作面臨十分急迫的壓力，科學家簡直是與時間賽跑。

此間，世界衛生組織則不斷呼籲，凡處理禽類的工人都應該要注射流感疫苗，這是為了防止感染禽流感病毒，進而發展成一種適於人類間相互傳染的新病毒。

台灣疾管局表示，除了養禽業者要保持高度警覺外，民眾也應配合，不要非法走私、飼養或食用來路不明的禽鳥、前往禽流感疫區時，避免接觸禽鳥，如有接觸禽鳥及其糞便後，要馬上用肥皂洗手。除了注意衛生之外，雞肉務必要煮熟後才食用。

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday held talks with drugs firms and international laboratories on developing a vaccine to fight bird flu, which it fears could become a pandemic.

Officials said any such protection was probably still some six months away, but that they hoped soon to have a prototype of the bird flu virus that could serve as the basis for a vaccine.

Stressing there was no sign the avian flu, which has killed eight people in Vietnam and Thailand, could be transmitted from person to person, senior officials said the aim was to be ready for the worst.

"We are observing a possible pandemic situation and we are trying to take precautionary measures in case significant human to human transmission takes place," said Klaus Stohr, head of WHO's global influenza programme.

The prototype could be ready within two months but after that more time would be needed to test its safety, for which they use ferrets, with the final step being clinical trials.

But in the meantime, the world health body was considering recommending that anybody exposed to infected chickens and other poultry be vaccinated against normal strains of flu, Stohr said.

Although the normal vaccine is no protection against avian flu, officials hope such immunisation campaigns can prevent any mixing of the viruses.

On Wednesday, a leading drug industry group said members would donate 220,000 doses of normal flu vaccine to the fight against bird flu.

The Geneva-based International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations (IFPMA) said more could be made available if needed.

The disease, which has triggered comparisons with SARS, has spread quickly through 10 Asian countries after first appearing in South Korea around Christmas.

No one is sure how the bird flu spreads, although wild birds are the prime suspects. Nor do they know why it particularly lethal for children, with seven of the dead being under 16.

過幾個禮拜的否認，泰國終於承認國內確實有禽流感疫情的存在。外界指控，泰國政府早在去年 11月間，就知道國內有致命性禽流感病毒H5N1存在。儘管雞隻大量暴斃的消息走漏，泰國當局仍不斷否認，長達數個禮拜之久。

泰國政府發言人賈卡拉波昨天說，該國在處理禽流感疫情時，確實是搞砸了，而涉有責任的官員將遭到懲處。泰國總理戴克辛也公開承認，政府在處理疫情控制時，的確犯下人為疏失的錯誤。此外，戴克辛還說，由於疫情蔓延得相當快速，公眾健康威脅日增，且區域經濟恐將受到嚴重波急，現在應該是要同心協力，把所有「爭議」放在一旁，共同對抗禽流感疫情的時候。

根據亞洲開發銀行的估計，去年亞洲爆發 SARS疫情的時候，造成旅遊業和航空業達600億美元的損失。有了中國隱瞞SARS疫情，導致嚴重後果的前車之鑑，泰國政府居然不知警惕，依舊採取顢頇的處理方法，自然招致國際間的嚴厲譴責。

戴克辛到現在依舊認為，錯誤是可能發生的，而泰國政府並沒有故意隱瞞疫情，不過是行政效率不彰而已。而為了重振政府公信力，處理禽流感危機，泰國政府已於 1月28日在曼谷召開國際會議，邀各國專家商討對付疫情擴散的辦法。

然而，泰國官員表示，國內禽流感疫情已經由鄉間擴散到人煙稠密的首都曼谷。當地的鬥雞以及其他家禽身上，都可以找到禽流感病毒的蹤跡，目前曼谷可以說是已經淪陷，成為高危險區。加上昨日又有 6省淪陷，使得泰國全國出現禽流感的省份已增至31省，占全國1/3。到目前為止，泰國已撲殺了1,050萬隻禽鳥。

A contrite Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra admitted on Wednesday to "mistakes and human errors" after international criticism that his government covered up an outbreak of bird flu.

But Thaksin said the avian virus breaking out across Asia posed a serious threat to the region's economies and public health and it was time to put the controversy in the past.

"Not only does it pose a grave economic threat, forcing the elimination of millions of chickens, it also poses a serious threat to public health," Thaksin said in a speech opening a regional emergency summit on bird flu in Bangkok.

Bird flu has been confirmed in 10 countries from Japan to Pakistan and has killed eight people and millions of chickens. All of the human victims are believed to have caught the disease from contact with sick chickens.

Thaksin declined to give details of his estimates of the possible economic fallout from the disease, which economists have said should be limited as long as there are no cases of transmission between people.

According to estimates from the Asian Development Bank, last year's outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome cost Asia $60 billion in lost revenues and the airline and tourism industries were especially hard hit.

Even after the SARS experience, Thaksin said mistakes were possible.

"Transparency and disclosure of information are essential to bring back confidence and trust to the general public," he said.

Twelve countries are attending the bird flu conference in Bangkok in addition to host Thailand, along with representatives of the European Union, the World Health Organisation, the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the world animal health organisation.