Pakistan agriculture authorities on Wednesday advised several precautions to people after they confirmed another outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of bird flu, the second of the current winter. The virus was detected in two out of eight samples tested serologically at an Islamabad national reference laboratory on Avian Influenza.
The samples were of crows found dead in a park and on the roadside in various localities of the federal capital. The Food Ministry said there were chances some other wild birds might also be currying the virus. The latest outbreak comes just a few weeks after a H5N1 virus hit and killed several birds at a zoo in the city.
Pakistan poultry industry faced up to Rs 25 billion losses last winter when several thousands birds were culled after the virus attacked farms in north-western cities in NWFP. A ministry spokesperson asked people not to handle dead birds with bare hands and report to the nearest sanitary inspector of the municipality.
The whole dead bird (in plastic bag) might be sent to the Poultry Research Institute, Rawalpindi or nearest veterinary hospital, he advised. He suggested people to dispose off dead birds safely by deep burial wearing disposable gloves.
People who are keeping back-yard poultry or fancy birds should protect them from coming in contact with wild ones and vaccinate them against Avian Influenza.
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