Smart-tek announced this week that more than 50 government, academic and industry experts attended demonstrations in Beijing and officials there are now seeking cost details to implement an RFID tracking program. The system is one of several technologies people are turning to as they try to track and contain the virus that causes bird flu.

"With an estimated 13 billion chickens in China, this is such an extremely critical issue that there was a very high level of interest on the part of the governmental officials who attended," Perry Law, president of Smart-tek Communications, said in a prepared statement. "Frankly, we were overwhelmed with the reception of the system. We've always been confident we had a better mouse trap but the high praise we received in China was third party affirmation that the RFID is a vital tool in combating what may be one of the greatest threats currently facing mankind."

Law said the RFID Tracking Alert Containment and Poultry Monitoring system, or RTAC-PM, appears to be a viable method for monitoring the spread of bird flu. System designers created RTAC-PM to monitor livestock. It provides user-defined alerts to track poultry movement. SES Investment Ltd., an exclusive Chinese licensee, will serve as the liaison with the Chinese government and help implement the system if authorities approve it.

The World Health Organization states that bird flu has not reached pandemic levels. Scientists believe the virus would have to mutate before it would be passed easily from one person to another, which would speed the rate of transmission. As of Tuesday, WHO reported 184 confirmed human cases worldwide and 103 deaths since 2003.

So far, most human cases have been linked to direct contact with infected bird carcasses in markets and on farms, though experts warn that people in affected areas should wash hands frequently during food preparation and thoroughly cook both meat and eggs.

The U.S. Department of the Interior is using satellites, radio transmitting implants and maps from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration to track wild birds' migration, according to Voice of America. Other federal agents are watching poultry movement at the borders, according to the report.

TIME Magazine health writer Christine Gorman reported earlier this week that U.S. veterinarians are using handheld GPS tools, databases and Google Earth to plot chicken house locations. If the disease shows up, officials will turn to the database before to identify where to quarantine or take other emergency measures. Gorman is also using technology to spread information about bird flu. She has a dedicated archive link on her Global Health Blog.

WHO is running a password-protected Web site where countries can obtain templates and provide daily reports on virus detection and the U.S. government is working with private businesses to come up with systems to deal with an outbreak. Businesses are expected to rely on technology as well.

"To mitigate the risks associated with this type of threat, firms are coming up solutions that include social distancing through enhanced telecommuting and work-from-home strategies involving VPNs and LANs," Alexander Tabb, practice leader of TABB Group's Crisis and Continuity Services, said during a conference on business continuity and security in New York City this week. "A lot can be done remotely, but you need a group of highly trained people, technical experts run the systems that will be grouped together somehow."

By: DocMemory
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