Islamabad, May 23: A new outbreak of avian flu
has struck three poultry farms in the Pakistani capital,
killing 6,000 birds and forcing a cull, officials said on Wednesday.
The disease erupted at farms in Chak Shahzad, a suburb
of Islamabad, this week. Officials said there was no case of
human infection by the H5N1 virus.
"The disease at the three farms killed 6,000 birds and
we culled the remaining 5,000 on Tuesday," Agriculture and
Livestock Ministry spokesman Mohammad Afzal said.
"The surrounding farms have been advised to
immediately implement vaccination," he said.
Afzal said all workers on the affected farms were
examined by the ministry of health but "none was found
affected by the virus."
The disease last appeared in April in northwest
Pakistan and the southern port city of Karachi, but it was
quickly controlled.
The authorities in March were forced to shut an
Islamabad zoo and slaughter dozens of birds, after the virus
was found in peacocks and geese.
Pakistan produces 4.5 million chickens annually.
Bureau Report
First Published: Wednesday, May 23, 2007, 00:00