February 03, 2008	Sunday	Muharram 24, 1429

KARACHI, Feb 2: Government officials observed on Saturday that the seasonal flocking of migratory birds to Sindh’s lakesides and wetlands was the only source of the recent infection of chickens in Gadap with the deadly avian influenza (AI).

Responding to Dawn’s queries, both the Director Poultry, Dr Ali Akbar Soomro, and the provincial co-ordinator on AI in birds, Dr Aslam Jalali, said that the recurrence of AI, which resulted in the destruction of thousands of birds in Karachi last year, had been spreading bird flu in Gadap Town, and it was the inadequate immunity system of the farm birds that resulted in infection with the deadly disease.

According to claims made by the owner of the affected farm – Uni poultry farm – about 12,000 birds either died due to diseases or were culled to contain the further spread of AI virus (H5N1 strain).

The livestock and health departments’ officials, who conducted surveys of five other farms in the vicinity on Saturday, maintained that the situation was under control at those farms and they were no reports of unusual deaths or health problems of the poultry workers in question.

In the meantime, Dr Shakeel M. Mullick, Deputy Secretary of the Sindh Health Department, said that three personnel of the Uni farm, who were hospitalised at the Civil Hospital Karachi, were also doing well and had not shown any symptoms of human/bird flu diseases. “Nine workers at the Rangers’ farm were also checked on Saturday and they were all in good condition so far,” he added.

Results of samples taken from birds of the Rangers’ farm are likely to reach Karachi on Monday, it was further learnt.