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Bird Flu in Eastern Afghanistan
New H5N1 bird
flu case confirmed in eastern Afghanistan
KABUL,
Afghanistan
2006-04-25 16:55 -- A new case of the
deadly bird flu strain has been confirmed in poultry in the eastern Afghan
province of Kapisa, a U.N. official said Tuesday.
A United Nations-approved laboratory in Italy confirmed that samples recently
taken from birds in Kapisa, about 70 kilometers (45 miles) east of the capital,
Kabul, carried the deadly H5N1 avian influenza virus, said Assadullah Azhari,
the Kabul-based spokesman for the world body's Food and Agriculture
Organization.
Four Afghan provinces have now reported confirmed cases of H5N1, the others
being Kabul, Logar and Nangarhar, Azhari told The Associated Press.
''It's a concern that the disease appears to be spreading, but it is doing
slowly because of the manner in which people keep their birds inside their homes
in most parts of the country,'' Azhari said.
The provinces of Laghman and Parwan are also ''highly suspected'' of having the
deadly bird flu virus, but further U.N. testing is needed, he said.
Azhari was unaware whether bird culling had started in Kapisa, but said killing
of birds suspected of having the virus has been taking place in Kabul. A
stepped-up nationwide surveillance drive will start soon to search for more
suspected cases, he said.
As yet there have been no cases recorded of Afghans being infected or dying from
H5N1, but worldwide, more than 200 human cases of bird flu have been confirmed,
including at least 113 deaths, according to the World Health Organization.
The virus has killed or prompted governments to destroy more than 140 million
birds since late 2003 as the disease emerged in China and spread through Asia,
the Middle East, Europe and Africa.
Health officials fear the virus could evolve into a version that could easily be
transmitted between people, potentially triggering a global pandemic. So far,
there has been no evidence of such a mutation.
For More Information Contact:
Kapisa
Central Kapisa Province, Kapisa, Afghanistan
Tel: 0093-70-280712
FAX: CompanyFAX
Internet:
murad839@yahoo.com
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