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Kazakh Bird Flu "Potentially Dangerous" to Humans - Ministry

Posted on: Wednesday, 10 August 2005, 06:00 CDT

Text of report by Interfax-Kazakhstan news agency

Astana, 10 August: Kazakhstan's veterinary services have confirmed that the bird flu which had caused the death of fowl in northern regions of the country had been caused by a strain of the H5N1 virus that is potentially dangerous to humans.

" High pathogenic avian influenza Type A with the antigenic variant of H5N1 was discovered in pathological material and blood serum taken from wildfowl and poultry brought from the Nan farm in Yertis District of Pavlodar Region," a Kazakh Agriculture Ministry press release circulated today says.

This conclusion was made by the scientific agricultural research institute of the Ministry of Education and Science jointly with foreign experts, the press release says.

The press release says that "on 9 August the veterinary department received no information on new cases of bird flu in the country". "The epizootic situation in poultry farms is normal," the press release said.

Quarantine has been introduced in the village of Golubovka in Yertis District of Pavlodar Region, where an outbreak of bird flu was reported.

Thirteen working groups have been set up to examine ponds in order to find dead birds. There are 631 lakes and ponds and 11 reservoirs in the region. A total of 444 lakes and ponds as well as all reservoirs have now been examined.

Quarantine has also been introduced in the village of Vinogradovka in Akkol District in (northern) Aqmola Region, where a mass death of fowl was reported. A total of 345 fowl have been eliminated there.

The first deputy health minister and the country's chief epidemiological doctor, Anatoliy Belonog, did not rule out the possibility of people contracting bird flu.

Source: BBC Monitoring Newsfile

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