There is a chance that we could have at least as many dying from communicable diseases as we've had dying from the tsunami.

We are watching very closely to see how the disease associated with bird flu, when it hits humans, is evolving.

Every country in the world now needs to have its veterinary services on high alert for H5N1 to be sure they are not caught unawares.

The virus is moving quite substantially into new locations. My attention is pretty much equally divided between Europe, the southern Balkans and Black Sea area, Africa and south Asia.

This outbreak is moving ahead of efforts to control it.

If there is delay in getting culling teams out, delay in any part of the chain, even weeks, that could have great implications for the virus to spread.

There is a chance that we could have at least as many dying from communicable diseases as we've had dying from the tsunami.