February 13, 2004

UN Official Says Pakistan Bird Flu Under Control

A United Nations official reported that the bird flu outbreak in Pakistan is under control.

"So far, the information that we have is that the disease is contained, the virus is contained, but we have to be very careful," Omar Salah, representative in Pakistan for the Food and Agriculture Organization, told reporters.

Agriculture Minister Sardar Yar Mohammed Rind said there had been no cases of the H5N1 strain of bird flu that has killed at least 19 people in Asia.

However, he said Pakistan has been hit by the H-7 and H-9 strains less dangerous to humans.

According to officials and poultry industry representatives, between 1.5 million and 3.5 million chickens were killed by bird flu and culling in farms around the southern city of Karachi.

Salah warned that the migration of wild birds northwards as winter ends could cause some problems, and said the whole country would be surveyed.

European Union representative Michael Dave said the EU was providing consultants to study the effect of Pakistan's outbreak.

Authorities have banned the transport of chickens and other domestic birds inside the country as a precaution.