BANGKOK, Jan. 30 (Xinhuanet) -- The success of eradication of bird flu in affected countries and regions in Asia heavily depends on mass poultry culling, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said Friday.

    Mass culling in affected areas was currently considered as the most effective way of stamping out the highly contagious virus that had so far hit 10 countries and regions in Asia, said Hans Wanger, senior animal production and health officer of FAO's regional office for Asia and the Pacific, based in Bangkok.

    However, he said the FAO was concerned that mass culling was not conducted at a speed the organization considers absolutely necessary to contain the virus H5N1 in the region, especially in poor countries as farmers and producers in these countries could not receive an adequate financial incentive for killing their chickens.

    The fear for losing animals with limited compensation or without compensation is real threat to the farmers, he said, adding that poorer countries would need international financial assistance and advice to address the problem.

    More than 25 million birds had been culled in the campaign against bird flu so far. Enditem