Nielmar de Oliveira
Reporter Agência Brasil

Rio - Yesterday minister of Health, Saraiva Felipe, announced the details of the Brazilian government's plan to deal with a possible bird flu pandemic. According to the minister, the plan will initially have a budget of US$72 million.

The plan will set up early warning units in 21 states which will work together with what the government is calling sentry-units where rapid diagnosis and treatment can be undertaken. There will be 46 of them spread throughout the country. The government will also begin stockpiling the only flu drug that is believed to be effective against bird flu, Tamiflur. Brazil has ordered 9 million doses which are scheduled to arrive in December.

Bird flu is considered an extremely dangerous threat to human health worldwide. An acute respiratory disease that affect birds, it has been transmitted to a small number of human beings who handle birds in a few Asian countries. But so far it has not mutated into a disease that can be transmitted human-to-human. However, if that happens, it will probably turn into a pandemic and could kill millions around the world.

Translator: Allen Bennett