KARACHI, Feb 6: Poultry industry gave a mixed reaction over the detection of bird flu cases in the country. The H5N1 virus was detected in domesticated chickens and peacock in Rawalpindi and Mansehra on Tuesday.

Some poultry farmers feel threatened by losses in case public again suspends eating chicken while others do not see any threat as the virus has not hit the commercial birds and consumers have become aware after handling the menace in 2004 and 2006.

Central Chairman Pakistan Poultry Association (PPA), Mir Tahir Zaidi did not see any threat to the local industry saying much depends on the behaviour of consumers.These are isolated cases and have nothing to do with the commercial birds. “So far commercial birds have been safe from any disease,” he said.

He said that the government and the industry had done a lot on vaccination of birds since February 2004 when the deadly disease outbreak had inflicted huge losses to both poultry farmers and dealers. He added that birds were being administered vaccines properly.

PPA Disease Committee Convener Dr Zafarul Islam told Dawn that the poultry industry had been feeling threatened after the detection of these cases despite the fact that the virus had been found in domesticated (desi) chicken and fancy bird (peacock).

However, he said from March 2006 to till February 2007, the industry had collected 64,000 blood samples including organ samples from the commercial birds which died abnormal death but so far there had been no clue of any H5N1 virus.

Regular vaccination of commercial birds has been going on at normal pace and so far there has been no threat of any attack of avian influenza at commercial farms, he said.

He said it would depend on the behavior of general public towards eating chicken. However, after the outbreak of H5N1 virus in February 2006 consumers had stopped buying chicken which had sent prices to record low levels thus resulted in huge losses to the industry.

Karachi Wholesalers’ Poultry Association (KWPA) General Secretary Kamal Akhtar Siddiqui also ruled out any impact on the local industry as consumers were well aware of the situation especially after March 2006.

“There has been no case of H5N1 in commercial poultry which is so far safe,” he added.

Some industry people say that the mystery of bird flu has again emerged. It has become an annual ritual that has been considered a conspiracy against the poultry industry hatched by vested-interest to inflict colossal losses as has been suffered by it during the last few years.