Regional allies in the fight against bird flu
The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia)
July 5, 2006

A BIRD flu pandemic may lead to 40,000 deaths and a 7 per cent drop in Australian gross domestic product, according to recent modelling by the Australian Bureau of Agriculture and Resource Economics. This is why health authorities right round Asia are continuing to take the mere possibility so seriously.

Tokyo's infectious diseases hospital has just upgraded its main flu ward to secure research laboratory standard. Hong Kong has installed 1400 negative pressure ventilator beds to cope with any bird flu outbreak. Shanghai has built a combined analytical laboratory, research centre and 600-bed infectious diseases hospital which is being kept empty, on standby, for just such a disaster.

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