MANSEHRA, May 9: Poultry farmers on Sunday rejected reports about the spread of bird flu in the Masehra district terming them baseless and unfounded. They said the reports were part of a bid to destroy the local poultry industry.

President of the Mansehra Poultry Association Fida Mohammad Khan said at a press conference here that poultry industry was the only stable industry that was providing jobs to thousands of people in Hazara region.

He said that reports about bird flu in Mansehra district were deliberately being floated under a pre-planned conspiracy to damage the local poultry industry. He said that multi-national companies had some months ago played a key role in spreading rumours of bird flu virus in Pakistan and elsewhere in Asia.

Fida Mohammad Khan said that countries where people consume pig's meat were more prone to bird flu virus, adding that the virus is easily absorbed by pig meat. He said even if a chicken is affected by bird flu, the virus is neutralized when it is cooked over 90 degrees Centigrade while most of the local dishes were cooked at over 100 degrees Centigrade.

Refuting reports about bird flu, he said that there were some common diseases of breeder and the broiler varieties of chickens which affect their flocks at a certain age, adding these diseases were effectively controlled and were not harmful to humans.