27 January 2004	Tuesday	04 Zilhaj 1424

KARACHI, Jan 26: Agriculture ministry officials and office-bearers of a poultry association claimed on Monday that a virus responsible for the recent outbreak of influenza among birds in South Asia was not as dangerous as the one which killed millions of poultry birds , and also some humans, in Vietnam and Thailand.

They maintained that birds in Pakistan died after coming in contact with the H7 strain of the avian influenza virus which does not transmit to humans. The strain identified in Vietnam and Thailand, they pointed out, was H5N1 which might transmit to people.

However, a body representing doctors has refused to take their words on face value. After a meeting with representatives of the poultry associations they made it clear that they would not release any statement on the subject until they were shown documentary proof that the strain involved was indeed H7.

Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) President Haseeb Alam told Dawn that a delegation from a poultry association had called on him and his colleagues and urged them to stop issuing statements that could hurt their industry. "They said according to some laboratory reports the H7 strain was behind the death of millions of chickens in and around Karachi," said Dr Alam.

"This strain is not as lethal as H5N1 which hit some other countries in Asia recently, the delegation asserted. However, on our part we said nothing can be done until they produce documentary proof to back up their claims." The poultry association people had promised that documentary proof would be produced soon.

Some doctors working for the Liaquat National Hospital and the Aga Khan University were of the opinion that Pakistan did not have the capability to isolate and identify virus strains. "Any claim in this regard should be greeted with wariness, if not outright suspicion," said one of them.

Meanwhile, a statement issued in this regard by the Sindh Information Department said: "As far as the diagnosis is concerned, it was reported by the National Disease Labs that the mortality in the layer birds was mainly due to the Avian Influenza Sero Type H7 and Newcastle disease.

"...(T)here is no evidence that this Avian Sero Type causes infections in human beings." The statement attributed this piece of information to a spokesman for the Sindh Livestock and Fisheries Department.

Manzoor Panhwar, Sindh Minister for Livestock, disclosed that some samples had been sent to the Perbright Laboratories in the United Kingdom to confirm the findings of the local laboratories.

"We have already tested the samples at several labs in Pakistan. The idea is to make sure that we get it right." The provincial minister said in an effort to protect chickens from the disease, the Sindh Poultry Vaccine Centre had produced vaccines for both H7 and H9. The centre had sold some nine million vials to the poultry farmers, added Mr Panhwar.

Maroof Siddiqui, Convener of the Pakistan Poultry Association, gave an entirely different perspective. "The avian disease passed its peak in December. At the moment it is dying out."

Answering a question, Mr Siddiqui clarified that the authorities had never asked the poultry farmers to cull their birds. "The disease affected the layer birds, not the broilers.

"So the broiler birds were always safe for consumption, regardless of the type of strain responsible for the death of millions of chickens in Sindh." Kamal Akhtar Siddiqui, who represents the poultry wholesalers of Karachi, admitted that concerns regarding the suitability for consumption of chicken meat had affected their sale. "The sales figures are down by 20 per cent due to the rumours surrounding chicken meat."