The push has come largely in the wake of the death of a young Laotian girl from bird-flu. The teenager caught the virus in February and was sent to a hospital in Nong Khai for tests.

The girl finally died, but many healthcare workers, who were in close contact with her both in Laos and Thailand, had to go on a surveillance programme including being given the anti-viral drug Tamiflu.

The case has prompted Thailand, Laos and Cambodia to try to improve collaboration in controlling bird-flu along their borders. Groups such as the World Health Organisation, FAO, USAid, which provided technical support, and the Kenan Institute Asia had given around US$1 million (Bt32.7 million) to help this, said Dr Saravudth Suvannadabba, of Thailand's Disease Control Department.

The first step was to boost surveillance capacity, establish an effective and transparent information sharing system, and laboratory capacity to rapidly verify cases, said Dr Maureen Birmingham, of the WHO.

About 130 health officials from the three countries and international organisations met in Nong Khai yesterday to discuss the matter.

It was expected the collaboration would expand to cover all areas of the Mekong River basin, said Jim Hopkins, manager of the Kenan Institute Asia's Borderless Action against Microbes.

"Hopefully, Burma and Yunnan will join later," he said. "The event of Sars in 2003 and then avian influenza in 2004, clearly show that communicable diseases do not respect international borders," said Dr Bounlay Phommasack, deputy director-general of Laos' Department of Hygiene and Prevention.

Arthit Khwankhom

The Nation

Nong Khai