PESHAWAR, April 4: In the wake of detection of the bird flu virus in poultry farms in Abbottabad and Charsadda, the World Health Organisation has issued guidelines to cope with what it called ‘highly alarming situation’. More than 70 per cent of the country’s poultry farms are in Hazara.

Avian influenza occurred in highly pathogenic form in commercial poultry in the NWFP during 1995, when H7N3 caused heavy mortality in the Hazara region.

The H5N1 virus was confirmed in poultry farms in Abbottabad and Charsadda last month.

According to WHO, avian influenza has seriously affected the livelihood of commercial and rural producers, besides jeopardising human and food safety.

The potential risk to human life in densely populated urban areas underlined the urgency of bringing the disease under control by strengthened regulatory and technical and operational disease control measures, it said.

It recommended collection of data of all poultry farms, domestic birds, wild fauna, captive fancy birds and migratory birds with preparation of a list of poultry workers.

To cope with the pre-epidemic phase, it called for establishing a surveillance and monitoring system from field to the provincial level, identifying high-risk areas and developing a quarantine system.

It also called for capacity building of poultry, health, livestock, wildlife and environment workers.

It recommended strengthening of veterinary research and diagnostic laboratories, protective and diagnostic facilities of the health department, establishment of trained and equipped rapid-response teams and stockpiling of antiviral drugs as per WHO guidelines.

It sought development of standard for registration of all commercial poultry farms, markets and slaughtering practices and review and implementation of bio-security standards.

To create awareness, it recommended setting up of a coordination and information resource centre at the provincial level.

An authority should be notified for decision regarding culling of poultry or other immediate actions, it said.

It also recomended identifying quarantine sites for suspected cases, proper management and establishment of a media cell, besides putting in place a district-level task force.