|
|
Japan and China join forces to combat bird flu
Japan and China have joined forces to study bird flu and other infectious diseases through an exchange of researchers, despite strained political ties.
The heads of Japan's National Institute of Infectious Diseases and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention signed an agreement to jointly study infectious diseases and cooperate in finding vaccines.
"There are no borders for infectious disease-causing agents," said Tatsuo Miyamura, director of the Japanese institute.
"What happens in one country is a threat to its neighbor, so we would like to exchange information and personnel on a systematic basis," he added.
Japan signed a similar agreement in April with South Korea, opening the way for cooperation among the three countries in research and personnel exchanges, a spokeswoman for the Japanese institute said.
The deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu has spread to 55 countries, up from 45 that had reported infections in April, although its speed has slowed, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization warned Monday.
"Joint research with Japan will play an important role in detecting an early bird flu outbreak," said Yang Weizhong, the head of the Chinese organization.
The disease has killed about 140 people, mostly in Asia including 14 in China, since 2003.
Japan has reported infections in birds but no human deaths from aviation influenza, which is spread through contact with sick animals.
The agreement comes despite strained political relations between Japan and China, in part stemming from the legacy of Japanese imperialism.
|
