Pakistan confirms outbreak of birds flu in Karachi

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, January 27, 2004

Pakistan confirms outbreak of birds flu in Karachi

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A spokesman of the Pakistani Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock said in Islamabad Monday that the outbreak of the avian influenza disease has been reported in some poultry farms in the southern port city of Karachi, Sindh province.

The official Associated Press of Pakistan quoted the spokesman as saying that laboratory investigation has shown that an H-7 type of virus has caused the recent disease outbreak, but this virus ispoultry specific and does not jump over human beings.

He further said that the outbreak has been contained by strict bio-security measures and the affected animals were destroyed under the supervision of state veterinarians.

"The disease status is quite stable now," however, field staff have been instructed to remain vigilant and report any unusual occurrence of the disease, the spokesman said.

The livestock department of the Sindh provincial government is continuously monitoring the disease situation for taking immediateremedial measures in case of any emergency, the spokesman said.

According to an official notification issued Monday by Livestock and Fisheries Department of Sindh province, the Sindh Poultry Vaccine Center has so far sold 9 million vaccines to poultry farms to contain the disease in "layer birds" and the chickens are being protected from the avian influenza.

The notification said that there was some disease problem in the commercial layer during last eight to ten weeks in Karachi, however, there was no evidence that the disease was causing any harm to the human beings.

The poultry vaccine center is producing H-7 and H-9 vaccine which are effective against the field virus, said the notification.It maintained that the broilers used for meat purpose were not affected with the outbreak of the disease.

Meanwhile, a spokesman of the country's Poultry Association claimed the "layer birds" affected by any disease have already been killed by the poultry farm owners. He said there is no need for any scare as the disease has been contained.

The avian influenza has spread to poultry in Cambodia, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia and some other Asian countries andregions. At least seven people have died of the disease.

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