Apec officials hold workshop on bird flu

Dozens of health and government officials from across Asia and the Pacific are meeting in Singapore this week to discuss ways to strengthen the region's response to any bird flu pandemic.

The two-day workshop which begins later today is a follow-up to a bird flu exercise coordinated by Australia in June involving the 21 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) members.

The Australian Foreign Affairs department said the exercise highlighted the need for improved communications in such emergencies and the next step would be for the Singapore workshop to make a series of recommendations to government ministers.

The H5N1 bird flu virus has killed 138 people since late 2003, mostly in Asia.

Health experts fear it could mutate into a form that is transmitted more easily between humans, marking the first stage of a global flu pandemic that could kill millions.

- RADIO AUSTRALIA