Bird Flu found in Pakistan

Main Category: Bird Flu / Avian Flu
Also Included In: Flu / Cold / SARS
Article Date: 26 Jan 2004 - 0:00 PDT

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Officials say that they have detected a strain of Bird Flu (Avian Flu) in Karachi (southern port of Pakistan).

All chickens in the area will be culled.

This is a different strain (H-7and H-9) from the bird flu found in South-East Asia (it is said to be less dangerous).

The authorities have said that this strain does not (has not) passed to humans.

10-20% of the area's chickens have bird flu. Millions of chickens in the area have died of bird flu (since November, 2003). Chickens in this area live in cramped and unhygienic conditions.

Officials are sending farmers a circular which says, 'There is no solution to get rid of the said disease problem other than its eradication through destroying all birds.'

Pakistan Poultry Association convener Abdul Maroof Siddiqui told the AFP news agency: 'We have very strong doubts over the government's ability to diagnose the disease as avian flu, as they do not have human or technical expertise.'