Health experts and other officials from around the world begin meeting in Washington on Thursday to discuss a coordinated response to the bird flu epidemic, the U.S. State Department said.
The event is aimed at developing ways to share information and resources in case the H5N1 avian flu virus mutates and begins to cause a human pandemic, which experts believe could kill millions within months.
The H5N1 avian influenza virus has killed or forced the destruction of tens of millions of birds and infected more than 100 people, killing at least 60 in four Asian nations since late 2003.
The virus has already caused losses of $10 billion to $15 billion to the global poultry industry, with the heaviest losses in Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia.
But the biggest fears are about what would happen if it mutated enough to become easily transmissible among people, who have no immunity against it.
To track this, scientists must keep testing samples of the virus, especially when people become infected. But some experts have complained that countries are not sharing their samples.
They hope a checklist of viral mutations will let them predict when the bird flu virus is about to acquire the ability to easily infect people.
Some computer models have suggested that quick action could contain an epidemic, preventing it from becoming a pandemic. But all countries will have to share this information immediately and allow the immediate treatment of patients.
Experts hope the two-day State Department meeting and others coming up can help lay this groundwork.
"What this event does is it brings together 65-plus countries and international organizations that are concerned about preventing the spread of avian influenza," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters.
He said everyone taking part in the meeting had agreed to "core principles," or would shortly agree to them.
These include "transparency, in terms of quick and accurate reporting of any potential outbreaks; donor support for those countries that either have been affected or might be affected; and a pledge to work closely with the World Health Organization," McCormack said.
Australia will hold a regional meeting at the end of October to discuss an Asia-Pacific response to bird flu, Canada is holding an October 25-26 meeting of high-level officials in Ottawa, and the WHO has called for a November 7-8 meeting in Geneva to coordinate needed funding.
