Romania (4) -- Analyses-- January-March 2006

USA helps to combat the flue

6.03.2006

The United States has allocated almost 1.25 million dollars (1.04 million euros) to Romania to combat bird flu with more cash to come, the US ambassador to Bucharest said. Nicholas Taubman said the United States should bump up the money to Romania in the next few months to help reduce the economic impact of avian influenza. "Our two governments will continue to work together to contain the virus, and to prepare for a possible pandemic that is being discussed by scientists and health professionals worldwide," ambassador Taubman told reporters at the Institute for Animal Health in Bucharest. Experts from five countries bordering or close to the Black Sea -- Bulgaria, Moldova, Romania, Turkey and Ukraine -- were to meet Monday in Bucharest to discuss regional cooperation in fighting the spread of bird flu. Adrian Tibu, a spokesman from the Romanian agriculture ministry, told AFP: "Thanks to this donation from the United States, we're going to be able to boost the number of tests carried out on specimens taken from dead birds by 20 percent." Romania has registered 41 outbreaks of bird flu. Some 200,000 poultry birds have been slaughtered since the first case was identified in the Danube delta on October 7.

Beginning***Europe