Related News
Bird flu detected in Nepal
Source: Agencies |
January 17, 2009, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
NEPAL'S government has detected bird flu in chickens near its border with India and ordered thousands of poultry slaughtered, an official said yesterday, marking the first known instance of the virus in the Himalayan nation.
Authorities will slaughter all poultry within a 3 kilometer radius of Kakarvitta, where chickens tested positive for the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu, said Health Minister Girirajmani Pokharel. The border town is about 480 kilometers east of the capital, Katmandu.
There have been no reports of humans affected, Pokharel said.
Nepal imposed a ban on poultry imports from India last year after authorities there reported several outbreaks, but chickens are routinely smuggled over the border.
This is the first time health officials in Nepal have confirmed H5N1 in the country.
The latest WHO figures say bird flu has killed 248 people worldwide since 2003. The H5N1 bird flu virus continues to devastate poultry stocks around the world.
Bird flu remains difficult for humans to catch, but experts fear the virus might mutate into a new form that spreads easily among people.
Authorities will slaughter all poultry within a 3 kilometer radius of Kakarvitta, where chickens tested positive for the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu, said Health Minister Girirajmani Pokharel. The border town is about 480 kilometers east of the capital, Katmandu.
There have been no reports of humans affected, Pokharel said.
Nepal imposed a ban on poultry imports from India last year after authorities there reported several outbreaks, but chickens are routinely smuggled over the border.
This is the first time health officials in Nepal have confirmed H5N1 in the country.
The latest WHO figures say bird flu has killed 248 people worldwide since 2003. The H5N1 bird flu virus continues to devastate poultry stocks around the world.
Bird flu remains difficult for humans to catch, but experts fear the virus might mutate into a new form that spreads easily among people.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
