UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - The world remains unprepared to cope with a pandemic in humans arising from bird flu, a UN and World Bank report released Thursday found.

"Although a massive global effort to control highly pathogenic Avian Influenza (or severe bird flu) has led to improved responses to outbreaks in poultry in many countries during the last year, there is a continuing risk of a virus mutation which results in severe and easily transmitted influenza in humans, potentially precipitating an influenza pandemic," said the report by the UN System Influenza Coordinator, Briton David Nabarro, and the World Bank.

"The pandemic threat has led most governments to improve services to detect, contain and lessen the impact of dangerous pathogens," it said.

"However, many national pandemic plans are not sufficiently operational and the coordination of pandemic planning between countries needs greater attention," it added, ahead of an international conference set to discuss related issues December 4-6 in New Delhi.