ISLAMABAD, May 6: The ministry of health on Saturday announced that samples collected from persons living in and around poultry farms affected by the bird flu have tested negative.

The samples were collected from 109 persons living in and around eighteen different poultry farms - 4 Punjab, 2 NWFP and 12 Islamabad Capital Territory.

All samples tested for human cases of avian influenza at the National Institute of Health (NIH) have proved negative and there was no case of human avian influenza in the country.

The ministry also confirmed that those suspects who were hospitalised in isolation wards, have tested negative in the

NIH laboratory tests and therefore were discharged from hospitals.