Kuwait says birds tested positive for bird flu
Pastor Dale Morgan
*Kuwait says birds tested positive for bird flu*
06 Mar 2007 14:43:09 GMT
Source: Reuters
KUWAIT, March 6 (Reuters) - Kuwait said on Tuesday it had found two new
cases of the deadly H5N1 strain in live birds, raising to 52 the total
number of infected birds in the Gulf Arab country this year.
The new cases were a falcon and a chicken, Health Ministry official
Ahmed al-Shatti said in a statement, adding that experts from the World
Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) had arrived to help efforts to
combat the outbreak.
He said 250 people who had been in contact with the birds and their
families had so far tested negative for the disease while more than
25,000 birds had been culled since the outbreak.
Kuwait has closed down the country's zoo and poultry shops in
residential areas, and banned the import of live birds.
Kuwaiti officials were unable to say whether the bird flu cases have
affected poultry consumption or sales prices but residents said they
have not stopped consuming poultry.
"My family has not stopped eating chicken. We buy frozen chicken from
the shopping malls," office worker Mai Maamoun told Reuters.
"I think the only people at risk are those who come into contact with
infected live birds, but there is no danger if chicken is prepared and
cooked well." Kuwait last reported a case of bird flu in 2005.
Avian flu has killed 167 people worldwide since 2003, according to the
U.N. World Health Organisation. At least 200 million birds have died or
been slaughtered.