October 26, 2004

 

 

Bird Flu Fears Rise in Pakistan Ahead of Winter Migration

 

Pakistani authorities said on Monday that they were preparing for a repeat of the bird flu that led to millions of poultry being culled last year, as the pre-winter migratory season gets underway.

 

"It is difficult to forestall the flu outbreak as migrating birds during the upcoming winter pose high risk to the Pakistani birds," said Raja Rafaqar Hussain, the commissioner for the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. He said, "Every chance is there and the poultry industry is at risk."

 

Syed Ali Hasnain, a Karachi-based researcher with the World Wildlife Fund, said about 5.5 million birds migrate from the colder regions of Central Asia to Pakistan every year to avoid a harsh winter. They generally stay in southern Pakistan and adjacent parts of India until January.

 

Although experts believe the birds coming from Central Asia do not currently have any strains of the avian flu, the fear is they will pick it up from species that already have the disease and spread it.

 

Mohammad Afzal, an animal sciences doctor with the state-run Pakistan Agriculture Research Council, said H-7 and H-9 strains of avian influenza were already found in Pakistan and could easily be spread by the migrating birds.

 

"The H-7 and H-9 is circulating currently in Mansehra and Abbotabad," Afzal said.

 

"The chances of it spreading will increase more during the migratory season," he said.

 

The H-7 and H-9 strains are less damaging variations of the H-5N1 strain that has wreaked havoc in Southeast Asia, particularly Thailand and Vietnam, killing more than 20 people.

 

And although H-7 and H-9 is not believed to be fatal for humans, it led to the deaths of 3.5 million birds around Karachi last year, causing about Rs 1 billion in losses.

 

Afzal said a vaccination drive was underway throughout the country but only those farmers who had suffered last year were taking the problem seriously.

 

"There is a need for mass education among the poultry farm owners as the vaccination programme was diligently followed by the farmers in Karachi whereas a considerable number still avoid it for cost saving," Afzal said.

 

He also said Pakistan did not have the funds to pay for the 28 to 30 million doses of vaccination required nationwide, and the government was seeking financial help from the European Union.