International bird flu experts today released a blueprint to overhaul Asia's poultry industry, and called for 150 million dollars to combat the spread of the deadly disease among humans.

The United Nations' World Health Organisation (WHO) said the funding was needed to deal with the "human aspect" of the bird flu virus, including preparing for a possible pandemic that could kill millions.

"This is a ballpark figure subject to changes, because the situation is very fluid," Shigeru Omi, the WHO's director for the western Pacific region told reporters at the conclusion of a three-day meeting on the crisis.

The funds are in addition to the 100 million dollars that the WHO, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) appealed for earlier this week to fight the virus in animals.

Omi said the extra money was needed to pay for public education, vaccine development and providing antiviral drugs to people at risk of catching the disease, and that a meeting of donor nations could be held by the end of 2005.

Earlier today the three global agencies revealed plans for a sweeping overhaul of Asia's enormous poultry sector, which has been shattered by the bird flu crisis that erupted in 2003, killing 55 people in Asia so far.

The strategy, aimed at fighting the virulent H5N1 strain of avian influenza at its source, begins with a clean-up of "wet markets" and backyard farms, which are believed to be reservoirs for infection.

FAO chief veterinary officer Joseph Domenech said top priority was being given to small-scale domestic farms, a feature of villages across Asia, where animals live in close proximity to humans.

"This is where the risk is, and where most often the human cases are coming from," Domenech said. "We agreed that it is vital to urgently change or even end a number of farming practices that are dangerous to humans."

Wet markets

Wet markets, where poultry is commonly butchered and sold in Asia, are another major area of concern because animals are often handled in unsanitary conditions.

"These activities constitute a high risk to people who are exposed to contaminated animals or products such as blood, faeces, feathers and carcasses," the FAO said in a joint statement with the WHO and OIE.

So far nearly all the victims of bird flu have been infected by sick animals, but experts fear that if the virus mutates and begins circulating among humans, it could trigger a global pandemic.

Some 60 scientists at the Kuala Lumpur meeting called for a campaign to separate different species like chickens, ducks and pigs in small farms to lower the risk of the virus being transmitted or mutating.

Domenech said the industry overhaul also called for more stringent monitoring of animals and new procedures that would allow their origins to be traced if they were discovered to be infected.

Existing strategies such as vaccination where appropriate, education of farmers on how to minimise the risk of infection, and mass culls of poultry in outbreak areas also had to continue.

However Domenech said the restructuring of Asia's poultry industry - which could involve moving farms, abattoirs and markets - would require more funding which should come from the private sector.

"Destroying a market and rebuilding it in another place -- this could (involve) additional funds which are not included in the 100 million dollars," he said.

Among the 55 people who have died from bird flu, 39 were from Vietnam, 12 from Thailand and four were from Cambodia.