29 January 2004	Thursday	06 Zilhaj 1424

KARACHI, Jan 28: The city government launched on Wednesday an investigation into the outbreak of avian influenza that, according to a senior official in the livestock and fisheries department , two veterinarians and a poultry farmer, is subsiding.

Saying that the Karachiites need not panic, the Nazim of Karachi, Naimatullah Khan, ordered the establishment of a committee which was directed to submit a detailed report over the situation within three days.

The committee, to be headed by the EDO health, will have as its members the EDO of agriculture department, a district officer (community medicine), a district officer (veterinary), one representative each from the Pakistan Medical Association and Pakistan Poultry Association, and a member of the City Council.

The committee has been directed by the Nazim not only to identify the reasons behind the outbreak of the disease but also to suggest precautionary measures, declared a press release.

Meanwhile, the Director-General of the Livestock and Fisheries Department, Dr Baz Mohammad Junejo, told Dawn that the outbreak first reared its head in October. "And now it is subsiding, rather it has almost subsided already," he remarked.

Dr Junejo observed that the chicken which were vaccinated against the H7 and H9 strains of influenza had survived the outbreak among poultry. "This is another indication that these were the two strains which were responsible for the outbreak."

He claimed that no report of a human being contracting the disease had been reported from any part of the country. "This disease does not transmit vertically, so there's no need for you to lose sleep over it."

Answering a question, Dr Junejo explained that the poultry farmers should dispose of the dead chicken, ensure timely vaccination of the birds, and maintain hygienic conditions at their poultry farms. "Look, it is the poultry farmer who is going to lose money if the disease keeps killing poultry.

"So it is in his own interest to get his birds vaccinated, according to our guidelines. Maintaining hygienic conditions at his farm will also benefit him, otherwise he will continue to lose money."

Dr Masood A. Bahlool and Dr Imdad Hasan Hashmi of the Pakistan Veterinary Medical Association told this reporter that outbreak of avian influenza was not uncommon in this part of the world. "In 1994 an outbreak had hit areas near Rawalpindi and Islamabad. In fact something like this happens almost every winter," remarked Dr Hashmi.

"However, this time round more birds have been killed," added Dr Bahlool. The two veterinarians were of the opinion that avian influenza, especially those caused by H7 and H9 strains of the virus, did not transmit to human beings.

Afsar Qadri, a former office-bearer of the Pakistan Poultry Association, said between 3.5 to 4 million birds had perished in the outbreak. "But let me remind you that the situation is now almost under control."

The strains of the virus which caused the outbreak had been identified. "As we have said repeatedly, it was a combination of the H7 and H9 strains which caused so much economic loss."

Mr Qadri said a similar outbreak, which was smaller in scale, had hit some parts of the country about one-and-a-half years ago. He said the H7 and H9 viruses were first discovered in the layer chicken back in 1994 and again in 1996 and the doctors then had developed vaccines.

He said it was impossible for the affected egg-laying hens to survive the virus. An ampule of the vaccine costs only Rs1.10 to Rs1.70. A member of the National Disease Control Committee, Sindh Zone said the broiler birds used for consumption were completely safe and remained unaffected. The virus was confined to the poultry farms in and around Karachi, adds APP.