LAHORE, Feb 23: No blood testing of any Lahore Zoo bird has been carried out so far to detect the possibility of bird flu although the fatal epidemic was reported in the Islamabad Zoo two weeks ago.

Officials told Dawn that a request was faxed to the Central Avian Influenza Monitoring Laboratory, Islamabad, on Feb 20 by the Lahore Zoo director to send a team to take samples.

In response, the laboratory officials advised the Lahore Zoo to adopt precautionary measures besides contacting the Veterinary Research Institute at Lahore.

Zoo Director Yousaf Pal said a veterinary University team did visit the zoo on Friday, but did not take any sample. “They have promised to do the needful in a day or two,” he added.

About the measures taken so far, the director said the zoo committee had already met on Feb 10 and decided a number of measures.