Buddhist monks are being enlisted to help fight bird flu in the countryside by using

their spiritual influence on Cambodia's rural people.

The World Health Organization and the Agriculture Ministry have announced that workshops

are being held this month at 2,538 pagodas in 11 provinces to educate monks about

bird flu and to encourage them to alert people to the dangers of the disease in their

sermons.

Education materials about the virus will also be distributed to all schools in the

country in October.