PESHAWAR, Feb 23: The agriculture and livestock department is establishing four diagnostic centres in the province to screen poultry products, it is learnt. A doctor at the provincial veterinary research Centre, however, said that they lacked the required resources to cope with an outbreak of bird flu.

“There is no impending danger at the moment, but we cannot say as to when a bird flu may hit the province,” he remarked.

He said that in view of reports about the outbreak of the disease in India, Iran and China, Pakistan was also in the danger zone.

“We have planned to prepare a rapid response team for which the Food and Agriculture Organisation will provide us kits, masks, etc.,” an official said, adding that a monitoring and surveillance centre had been set up in Abbottabad some six months back while four screening centres had been planned for Kohat, Swat, Dera Ismail Khan and Peshawar.

NWFP has an estimated 700 poultry farms, of which 300 are located in the Mansehra district.

He said that bird flu was not transferable from humans to humans; but from birds to humans.

The official said that some 50,000 people were associated with the poultry profession in the province who were required to wear masks, gloves and boots besides protecting their skins when dealing with poultry.

“Virus can affect humans through respiration and skin,” he said and suggested protection of farms through nets and use of disinfectants by the poultry workers before entering the farms.

He said the poultry industry had suffered a great deal after the news of bird flu in the neighbouring countries.

Meanwhile, the health department has issued guidelines to all 24 districts in the province. It suggested holding of meetings of the task forces, established already at the district level, and sending its reports to the emergency cell.