Fed: Bird flu outbreak would be recessionary: Costello

AAP General News (Australia)
08-30-2006
Fed: Bird flu outbreak would be recessionary: Costello

CANBERRA, Aug 30 AAP - A regional outbreak of bird flu would be traumatic economically,
Treasurer Peter Costello says.

"If there were an outbreak of bird flu that would be probably the most severe economic
shock that the region could have," Mr Costello told ABC Radio.

His comments come ahead of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting of finance
ministers in Vietnam next week.

"If there was an outbreak then you'd have to close borders, you'd have close cross
border trade, you'd have to close movement of people, you would have obviously a lot of
companies that would have to stop production.

"It would be recessionary, if not worse, so the economic impacts of avian flu are enormous
and that's one of the reasons why we spend as much money as we do, and we do spend quite
a lot of money, preparing for such an eventuality."

AAP pv/cjh/jlw

KEYWORD: FLU COSTELLO

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