Commenting on the implications for a widespread human outbreak of avian influenza, the editorial concludes: 'The possibility of a human pandemic with a highly pathogenic avian influenza virus must be taken very seriously indeed. With the latest outbreak in birds in Vietnam, teams from WHO, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization were quickly in country. One thing is clear: given that all new infectious diseases of human beings to emerge in the past 20 years have had an animal source, veterinary science and animal husbandry are as important for disease control as clinical medicine. When funding and resources are allocated, animal experts must not be overlooked.'
The Lancet