BEIJING, Oct. 21 (Xinhuanet) -- Various countries and international organizations were stepping up efforts to tackle avian flu on Thursday as fears for the lethal H5N1 strain of the flu virus have grown throughout the world.

    Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra confirmed the death of the latest bird flu victim in his country on Thursday. It is Thailand's 13th fatality from the deadly virus.

    Shinawatra insisted there has been no scientific indication of bird flu being spread from human to human. He vowed Thailand is ready to help its neighbors contain bird flu.

    Philippine Health Department said it would screen participants competing in next month's Southeast Asian Games, as a measure to detect and prevent the spread of bird flu in the country.

    In Indonesia, possible clusters of bird flu among members of one family have raised concerns among health experts that this feared mutation may already be happening.

    In Europe, the European Union (EU) adopted fresh measures to fight bird flu, banning live birds from markets or exhibitions without permission and urging states to keep wild flocks away from poultry feed.

    The European Commission said a committee of EU veterinary experts had agreed on the measures, including recommendations for protecting birds in zoos and the extension of a ban on imports of pet birds and feathers from many regions in Russia.

    The ban will remain in place for six months, a Commission spokeswoman said.

    EU health ministers gathered in London on Thursday for emergency talks to tackle bird flu from the 25-nation bloc after deadly strain of the virus reported in Turkey and Romania.

    The agenda of the two-day informal meeting switched from original cooperation on various health matters to how to thwart the deadly virus.

    EU Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou said that the member states had drawn up plans to deal with a possible pandemic and arrange stockpiles or orders for antiviral drugs, but said the risk to the general public was low.

    The United States, Britain and Russia have expressed interest in an experimental Hungarian vaccine against the bird flu after initial human tests proved promising, Hungary's government said on Thursday.

    Other countries interested in buying the vaccine include Indonesia, Ukraine, the Philippines and Mongolia, but concrete talks on purchases had not started yet, government spokesman Andras Batiz said.

    The vaccine, applicable for the deadly H5N1 form of the virus,was tested on around 100 volunteers including Hungary's health minister in late September. Preliminary results released on Wednesday indicated the necessary immune response needed for effectiveness.

    Hungary said it could eventually produce 500,000 vaccines a week, and that it would require 3.5 million doses for its population of 10 million. It could later raise production to tens of millions if needed for export.

    The Hungarian vaccines would cost 5-6 US dollars each, with revenues split between the state and Omninvest, a private company which will manufacture the drugs.

    Australia imposed an immediate ban on live bird imports from Canada after a group of racing pigeons were found to have been exposed to diseases including bird flu, Australian Agriculture Minister Peter MacGauran said on Friday.

    Latin American governments were also taking first steps to protect their people against it.

    Most local health officials say the region's poultry is at low risk from the H5N1 strain because vast oceans protect the continent.

    World health ministers will gather in Ottawa next week to strengthen the international response to an anticipated influenza pandemic that some experts say may already be developing in the form of bird flu.

    The meeting, scheduled from Oct. 24 to Oct. 25 in Ottawa, will bring together, for the first time, heath ministers and senior officials from about 30 developed and developing countries.

    The attendants will discuss how to reduce the spread of infectious diseases, including the H5N1 avian virus, both among animals and from animals to humans.

    Also on Thursday, China vowed to make joint efforts with the international community to wipe out bird flu.

    Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan told a regular press conference that China has beefed up the quarantine of imports and exports to prevent the epidemic from spreading.

    The H5N1 strain has killed more than 60 people in Asia since 2003 and forced the slaughter of thousands of birds. Enditem