November 22, 2007

Saudi confirms bird flu outbreak
 

Saudi Arabia's agriculture ministry announced on Wednesday more than three million birds were culled following an outbreak of bird flu.

The ministry confirmed that around 3.5 million birds have been or are being culled since the first infection of bird flu was detected.

The ministry also confirmed new cases of bird flu in farms west and south of Riyadh.

Migrant birds were pointed as the source of the disease; thus public was warned from hunting them.

Saudi Arabia banned all live poultry imports after bird flu was detected in the kingdom last March.

In April, neighbouring Kuwait culled 1.7 million birds after the strain was found.

However, there were no reports of the disease spreading to humans in either country.