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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Health experts from 65 countries are set to meet in Washington to plan how to prevent a possible bird flu pandemic after dire warnings from the World Health Organization last week.
So far, bird flu has killed about 60 people and tens of millions of birds in Asia. Last week, the WHO said the disease could kill many millions of people worldwide if it mutates into a form that can spread among humans.
Bird flu can spread around the world through migratory birds, and has already swept from Asia to poultry in parts of Siberia.
People who catch the worst strain of avian flu can die of viral pneumonia and acute respiratory distress.
The meeting on Thursday comes as the White House is urging companies to make more flu vaccines, with officials set to meet representatives from the U.S. pharmaceutical industry on Friday, CNN has learned.
Most U.S. pharmaceutical companies have stopped making flu vaccines, but many public health advocates believe having a reliable supply may be the best way to contain a "bird flu" pandemic in humans.
Sources who did not want to be identified -- because the pharmaceutical meeting has not been announced -- told CNN it is "simply another step" in trying to combat the bird flu.
The WHO has reported 116 cases of avian flu in humans, all of them in Asia. More than half of them have been fatal, it said.
The virus has mainly been spread from birds to humans but experts are worried about human-to-human transmission.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan skirted questions about the role of pharmaceutical manufacturers Wednesday, but he said the Bush administration is moving to develop vaccines against the H5N1 strain behind the spread of avian flu in Asia.
I've taken the liberty in highlighting some statements in bold...