LAHORE, Feb 12: No bird flu case in humans has so far been found in Pakistan, and there is no need to panic, says WHO’s World Task Force on Bird Flu member Dr Akbar Chaudhry.

Addressing a press conference on Monday, he said bird flu had not been found in 14 cases reported last year. This year, he said no case was reported, adding there was no need to get worried.

He said it did not mean that precautions should not be taken. He said meat should be cooked at 70 degree C to kill viruses if any. Only those people are at risk who handle infected birds, he said.

Livestock samples: The Punjab government on Monday directed district livestock officers to send in random samples on a weekly basis so that the provincial setup could keep a check on bird flu.

Provincial Livestock Secretary Babar Yaqoob Fateh Muhammad issued these instructions in a departmental meeting. He said though no further occurrence had been reported from any part of the province, the government would continue to keep a watch on developments.

Talking to Dawn, he said though the issue involved a commercial aspect, it was basically a public health issue. For this reason, the government had asked all its officials and poultry farmers to immediate report any development viz-a-viz the disease instead of hiding them. —Staff Reporter