It made the comment at a conference on bird flu in Tokyo attended by delegates from over 20 countries.
The WHO is setting up an independent bird-flu task force, which is expected to start working in the next few months.
At least 78 people have died of bird flu since 2003. The first deaths outside Southeast Asia and China were recorded in Turkey in early January.
The WHO's regional director for the Western Pacific, Shigeru Omi, says that, despite the spread of bird flu to Turkey, Asia remains the epicenter because contact between humans and poultry is more commonplace on the continent.
(AP, AFP)
RFE/RL's World: 2005 In Pictures
A slideshow of images related to the top news stories of 2005 from throughout RFE/RL's broadcast region with links to RFE/RL's reporting.
See also:
2005 In Review: Central Asia Witnesses Revolution, Continued Crackdown
2005 In Review: Does The Presence Of Western Election Observers Make A Difference?
2005 In Review: The Geopolitical Game In Central Asia
2005 In Review: Migrants, Refugees Victims Of Incoherent Laws In Post-Soviet States
2005 In Review: The Transformation Of Television In Russia
2005 In Review: Russia's Centralization Gathers Pace
2005 In Review: A Year Of Hopes, Disappointments For Afghans And Iraqis
