Health experts are gathering in Vietnam to share information and expertise for the ultimate aim of making bird flu medicines, especially the drug branded Tamiflu, more effective, local newspaper Young People reported Wednesday.

At the three-day symposium starting here Tuesday, experts from the United States, Britain, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia are to discuss specific research projects which will be implemented later to well understand the resistance of bird flu virus strain H5N1 to Tamiflu, and recommend suitable doses for treatment as well as development of new bird flu medicines.

The experts are also to share information and expertise in treating bird flu patients, and monitoring the disease. On Tuesday, they emphasized the importance of the establishment of an information network among hospitals in various countries, especially bird flu-hit ones.

A total of 177 human cases of bird flu infections, including 98 fatalities, have been confirmed in seven countries, namely Vietnam, China, Indonesia, Iraq, Thailand, Cambodia and Turkey, since 2003, according to a statement of the World Health Organization posted on its website on Monday. Vietnam has been the hardest-hit country with 42 deaths from bird flu so far.

Source: Xinhua