Ministers from 10 Asian nations hit by bird flu have agreed to work more closely to eradicate the disease.

They pledged to increase surveillance of the virus and to develop low-cost drugs, vaccines and test kits.

The meeting took place as Vietnam confirmed a further two deaths from the virus, bringing the total human death toll so far to at least 10.

Health officials fear it could start a human flu pandemic, though the virus has not yet jumped from human to human.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said 11 pharmaceutical companies are ready to help make a vaccine for humans.

Officials said a vaccine was still several months away. The virus has to be isolated, and the vaccine tested before it can be produced in large quantities.

"We are observing a possible pandemic situation and we are trying to take precautionary measures in case significant human to human transmission takes place," said Klaus Stohr, head of the WHO's global influenza programme.

Opening the meeting in Bangkok, Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said affected nations must fight an enemy which was "no less deadly than Sars", the pneumonia-like disease that killed almost 800 people last year.

Mr Thaksin admitted to "mistakes and human errors" after criticism that his government initially covered up an outbreak of bird flu.

His chief spokesman went further, describing the handling of the disease as a "screw up".

WHO officials - who attended the talks along with EU and US officials - have urged the affected countries to be honest about the risks their people face.

Tens of millions of chickens and ducks across Asia have been culled in response to the virus. However, Indonesia has said it cannot carry out mass killings of its poultry because it does not have the money to compensate farmers.

(Agencies)