March 21, 2006

Afghanistan reports two new cases of H5 bird flu

Two more cases of H5 bird flu have been detected in Afghanistan, days after the United Nations confirmed the first incidence of the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus, the UN said Monday (Mar 20).

The two new cases were found in a chicken in Kabul and a dead crow in eastern Kunar province. Swab samples were to be sent to Italy to confirm the sub-strain of the virus.

"Two new cases of the H5 type of bird flu have been found in Afghanistan in the last few days, but there have been no (more) confirmed cases of H5N1," UN spokesman Adrian Edwards told reporters.

Last week, the UN confirmed that H5N1 had been found in six samples in Afghanistan, taken from backyard farms in Kabul and the eastern city of Jalalabad.

The outbreak has raised concerns about how the impoverished government and its weak public veterinary system will deal with it. Afghanistan appears vulnerable, lying at a crossroads for migratory birds and near countries like Iran and India that have also detected outbreaks.

Dr. Azizullah Osmoni, spokesman for the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, said the government needed more equipment.

"We need protective suits for our staff to start our work," he said.

Osmoni said the US military had supplied 50 protective suits, but that would only be enough for one team of 25 persons for a single day.

The H5N1 strain of bird flu has killed or forced the slaughter of tens of millions of chickens and ducks across Asia since 2003, and recently spread to Europe, Africa and the Middle East.