December 9, 2005

Ethiopia tests dead birds for avian flu
 

Ethiopian authorities have started testing dead birds from the eastern Somali region and the capital city of Addis Ababa, in a bid to rule out bird flu in the country.

Local authorities in Somali estimated about 500 dead birds were found within their region.

All the dead birds were non-migratory local pigeons found around drinking wells in both regions and had undergone initial tests. But officials said further examinations were needed using proper testing kits.

The government is looking out for the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu, which has claimed dozens of human lives in Asia since 2003. This is done through the country's early-warning system, which also led to the recent discoveries and testing.