US and Indonesia battle over bird flu samples

The US and Indonesia are in talks over the sharing of bird flu virus samples after an agreement could not be reached between the two countries.

US health and human services secretary Michael Leavitt has claimed Indonesian health officials are refusing to share samples and accused them of seeking payments to release samples for testing.

Mr Leavitt spoke to Associated Press, saying: "This is not a line we want to cross. Because it means the next unique virus we come across, wherever it is, we'll end up with people who say there is a price to pay for the virus."

In 2003, US naval medical research unit number 2 was central to Indonesia's early efforts to track the H5N1 virus. However, the agreement between the two countries allowing the research unit to continue operations expired two years ago and has not been renewed.

"If there is anyone in the world who is advantaged by having the best scientific minds in the world, having access to this, it's Indonesia," added Mr Leavitt.

The World Health Organisation says that bird flu still affects poultry in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe. It has killed 240 out of the 381 people infected since 2003.