PAHO and countries of the Americas seek to establish an intersectoral commission to prevent and control avian influenza

The Pan-American Health Organization says countries in the Americas, including the Caribbean, have agreed to establish an intersectoral commission to prevent and control avian influenza.

PAHO says representatives from 35 countries met in Brazil this week at a time when the world is experiencing high levels of transmission of the virus among birds and mammals, which poses a potential risk to public health.

The Inter-Sectoral Commission for the Prevention and Control of Avian Influenza in the Americas will enable the public, animal, and environmental health sectors to exchange updated information on surveillance, epidemiological risk, and the evolution of circulating viruses.