South-East Asia during

Currently, two classes of drugs are available with antiviral activity against influenza viruses inhibitors of the ion channel activity of the M2 membrane protein, amantadine and rimantadine, and the neuraminidase inhibitors oseltamivir, and zanamivir. H5N1 viruses isolated from poultry and humans in Thailand and Viet Nam in 2004 invariably showed an amantadine-resistance indicating that amantadine treatment is not an option during the ongoing outb-treak in South-East Asia. 

During the period 2004-05, the world s largest ATS seizures took place in East and South-East Asia (32 per cent), followed by West and Central Europe (25 per cent), and North America (18 per cent). Seizures in North Africa (6 per cent), mainly reflect Maxiton Forte in Egypt. Similarly seizures in the Near and Middle East Region (6 per cent), are Captagon tablets seized in Saudi Arabia and neighbouring countries. 

The year on year increase of ATS seizures in 2005 was particularly pronounced in East and South-East Asia where they doubled and returned to levels reported in 2003. However, they still remained below the levels reported in 1999 and 2000. Stronger increases, albeit from lower levels, were reported from the Near and Middle-East region were ATS seizures showed a 9-fold increase in 2005, mainly reflecting large increases in Captagon seizures in Saudi Arabia during 2005. In southern Africa and in West and Central Africa, ATS seizures rose 5-fold in 2005. The overall ATS seizure levels in Africa are still lower than levels reported in 2001/2002 due to Egypt s decrease in Maxiton Forte seizures. ATS seizures in West and Central Europe declined in 2005. 

During the 2000-2005 period, some 80 per cent of global amphetamine seizures took place in Europe, mostly in West and Central Europe (68 per cent) and in South-East Europe (11 per cent). East and South-East Asia accounted for 15 per cent of global amphetamine seizures and the Near and Middle East for 2 per cent (excluding Captagon seizures, which could also fall under the amphetamine category). 

While ecstasy trafficking decreased in West and Central Europe, it increased in East and South-East Europe. Nonetheless, ecstasy seizures for Europe as whole fell by 25 per cent over the 2000-2005 period. During the same period, even stronger declines of ecstasy seizures were reported from North America (minus 35 per cent), reflecting successful efforts to curtail the ecstasy trade and reduce consumption over the last few years. The strongest increases were registered by countries in the Oceania region and, to a lesser extent and from lower levels, by countries in South America and in East and South-East Asia. 

Normally, the rate of production of lead azide is geared to the rate at which it can be incorporated in explosive trains. In this manner the total quantity on hand is minimized and is broken down into small lots and packaged so that the accidental detonation of one component will be less likely to result in the sympathetic detonation of large stores. However, during the South East Asia conflict a substantial overproduction of lead azide occurred, and bulk quantities were produced far in excess of normal rates. This situation required a special awareness of three problems which, although always of concern, do not normally assume such proportions. These were the problems associated with bulk storage and handling of the finished product with the accumulation of hazardous waste... 

While the largest seizures of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine are reported primarily in countries in North America and South-East Asia, where the problem of illicit manufacture of methamphetamine is well documented, the Board is concerned that, during 2004, seizure reports indicating use in illicit manufacture were received from all regions. As is shown in figure I, traffickers are currently using... 

Nivalenol. Powerful toxin derived from Fusar-ium nivale. Haemorrhagic, vesicant, necrosis producing, nausea, vomiting. Suspected constituent of yellow rain deposits during conflict in South-East Asia, although deposits also said to contain bee excreta. 

At the same time aromatics were on the increase, with an average growth of slightly under 5 % between 1983 and 1997, increasing from 30 Mt to some 57 Mt (8). During this period, benzene and especially PX, had the strongest growth, especially in South-East Asia. In 1997, world production of benzene represented a little less than half of the production of monoaromatics (27 Mt) (10). 

More often, the time during which the relative humidity exceeds 80% and the temperature stays above 32°C, is taken as a limit for time of wetness. Typical wetness values in temperate zones are 100-2700 h/year. In South East Asia (tropic-hiunid zone), the values are much higher (3000-5000 h/year). 

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