Amid fears that an outbreak of avian flu which has killed millions of birds in South East Asia could mutate and spread among humans, BBC News Online looks at the situation in the countries affected so far. So far, only the H5N1 strain of bird flu has been deadly to humans.
Cambodia
The H5N1 strain of avian flu was confirmed in samples of dead chickens from a farm near Phnom Penh on 23 January.
Some 3,000 birds have died on three affected farms in recent weeks. The UN fears that a larger outbreak could sweep the country, as it says the government does not appear to have proper measures to control the disease.
China
China has confirmed cases of H5N1 avian flu in 16 of its 31 provinces, including Shanghai and Tibet.
No human cases of the disease have been reported to date by the Chinese authorities.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for China to adopt heightened surveillance and quarantine measures to keep the disease in check.
Indonesia
Indonesia officially confirmed the presence of avian flu in the country on 25 January, and tests confirmed on 3 February that it was the H5N1 strain.
President Megawati ordered a cull of infected birds on 29 January after initially resisting pressure from the World Health Organization.
Independent and government researchers are believed to have first detected the existence of avian flu in Indonesia in November, but the government said it was a less serious disease, Newcastle disease.
Japan
Authorities have banned poultry trading among farms within 30km (18 miles) of a farm where H5N1 avian flu was detected in late December 2003.
More than 34,000 birds have been slaughtered or have died, but health officials are confident that the country's first outbreak for 79 years has been contained.
A second outbreak was confirmed in mid-February.
No human infections have emerged.
Laos
Two areas have been affected by an outbreak of H5 bird flu - the capital Vientiane and its surrounds, and the southern province of Champassak.
Officials say they still do not know the strain.
The Laos Government previously said that a disease destroying poultry in the country was bird cholera.
Officials have also said there is no evidence that the bird flu had jumped to humans in Laos.
South Korea
Authorities confirmed an outbreak of H5N1 bird flu near the capital Seoul on 15 December. They ordered the cull of 1.8 million chickens and ducks, and have quarantined affected farms.
After initial success, a further 88,000 birds were slaughtered in mid January after a renewed outbreak.
No human infections have been reported.
Taiwan
Taiwan confirmed that two farms in the south of the island had been affected by a less virulent strain of bird flu, H5N2, in mid January, and since then infections have
been reported in seven counties and cities across the island and 253,000 birds have been slaughtered.
No cases have been reported since, and there have been no human infections.
Thailand
Seven people have died from the flu in Thailand so far and nine provinces have been affected.
The government's handling of the outbreak has been described as "a screw up" by one Thai official after Bangkok denied for weeks that bird flu was present in the country.
Since the outbreak began in November, tens of million birds have died or been culled.
Vietnam
Vietnam has suffered the worst outbreak of H5N1 bird flu in the current epidemic.
Fourteen people have died from the flu.
A 15-year-old boy and a 22-year-old man are also currently being treated for the disease.
Some 3 million birds have been culled in 23 of Vietnam's 64 provinces. Outbreaks in more than 400 separate locations have been reported since 27 December.
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