Monday, February 04, 2008

Second Karachi Outbreak Confirmed H5N1

 

# 1610

 

What was suspected a couple of days ago is now confirmed. A  second farm on the outskirts of Karachi Pakistan, a city of 12 million people, has tested positive for the H5N1 virus.

 

While the media has mentioned that Pakistan has a number of people under observation, no human infections have been announced by the government.

 

Nationwide, hospitals have been put on full alert.

 

 

 

Bird flu spreads in Pakistan
(Reuters)


4 February 2008

ISLAMABAD - Pakistani authorities confirmed on Monday a fresh outbreak of the H5N1 strain of bird flu at a poultry farm on the outskirts of Karachi, the second case in four days in the country’s biggest city, a government official said.

 

Authorities have found several outbreaks of the virus in poultry and birds in North West Frontier Province and the capital, Islamabad, since it was first detected in the country in early 2006.

 

The first human case, which resulted in a death, was confirmed in December.

 

The new outbreak was found on a farm only 300 metres (yards) from where an outbreak was detected last week.

 

“Samples taken from it were tested and found positive for H5N1,” said Food and Agriculture Ministry official Rafiq-ul-Hassan Usmani.

(Cont.)