May 2, 2006

Bird flu hits ninth poultry farm in Pakistan

The H5N1 bird flu was detected in yet another poultry farm in Pakistan's central Punjab province, officials said Monday (May 1). This marks the ninth poultry farm affected by bird flu within two weeks.

The authorities culled some 16,000 birds at a poultry farm in Pindi Bhattian district, about 220 kilometres south of capital Islamabad.

Commissioner of Livestock and Animal Husbandry, Muhammad Afzal said culling began after tests confirmed the presence of the disease at the farm.

Eight farms were earlier infected by the virus between Apr 17 and 24 - all of them located on the outskirts of the capital Islamabad.

The discovery of the virus in various farms is due to heightened efforts by the authorities to keep a close watch on poultry farms across the country, Afzal said.

More than 40,000 chickens have been culled in less than two weeks with about half a million eggs destroyed in eight affected poultry farms.

Pakistan first detected the H5N1 strain in two farms of the North-Western Frontier Province (NWFP) in late February.

It has yet to report any cases of bird flu in humans.