BANGKOK, Feb. 26 (Xinhuanet) -- A UN-sponsored international emergency meeting on avian influenza control in animals in Asia opened here Thursday to discuss control strategies and rehabilitation measures.

    The FA0/OIE Emergency Regional Meeting on Avian Influenza Control in Animals in Asia was organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the WorldAnimal Health Organization (OIE) in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), Japan Livestock Technology Association (JLTA) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives of Thailand.

    At the opening session, He Changchui, assistant director-general and regional representative for Asia and Pacific of the FAO, said the central theme of the technical meeting is to furtherconsolidate and expand the fight against the bird flu disease, which constitutes a major constraint to chicken production and thesafe utilization of poultry products by consumers around the world.

    FAO estimates that about 100 million birds have died or have been culled to battle the disease.

    During the three-day consultations, participants are to assess the current situation of the bird flu outbreaks, to review what has achieved so far to control the disease, to address problems faced by those affected countries and to forge further strategies and to closer international cooperation to fight the disease.

    "The source of the disease is not yet known and its epidemiology is not clearly understood," he said.

    The FAO official called for support from the international community and donor organization for Emergency Response, EmergencyPrevention, Rehabilitation and Restructuring, and long-term surveillance and prevention.

    The UN organization is particularly concerned with the loss of livelihoods of the resource-poor smallholder farmers in affected countries and regions, who have limited or weak to no capacity to recover from their losses, he added.

    The disease has not yet been contained and it may continue to spread, or re-emerge in the future, he warned.

    The avian influenza constitutes a threat to livelihoods, human health, domestic and global trade, national protein supplies with potential consequences for both developing and developed countries,said the official.

    During the meeting, participants will exchange information and views on various aspects of avian influenza in an effort to come up with well-framed, integrated and viable plans and approaches for the regional goal of controlling the disease and improving livestock productivity and people's livelihoods.

    The conference has brought together the national chief veterinary officers, delegates to the OIE of 22 Asian countries and around 15 countries from other regions of the world.

    Thailand hosted a 12-nation Agriculture and Public Health Ministerial Meeting on Jan. 28. Enditem