Bird flu confirmed at Karachi farm

KARACHI: Pakistan has confirmed another bird flu outbreak in a poultry farm in Karachi's Gadap Town.
    
Though the virus was not found in humans but health department has ordered to conduct medical examination of the poultry workers.
    
"Laboratory tests of one poultry farm were found positive and we immediately culled the 1,000 remaining birds. The farm has been sealed," Deputy Secretary Health, Sindh, Dr Shakil Mullick was quoted as saying by 'The News'.
    
It was the third outbreak of the H5N1 avian influenza virus in the Karachi area this month.
    
Samples from one poultry farm located off the Super Highway in Gadap town were taken on Tuesday and sent to the Health Ministry in Islamabad to detect the H5N1 virus.
    
Meanwhile, workers of around 16 poultry farms were screened but no human infection was found, special secretary health, Dr Abdul Majid said, adding as a precautionary measure, three workers of a poultry farm were put under observation at an isolation ward of the Civil Hospital, Karachi.
    
Director Poultry Production and Provincial Coordinator, Dr Akbar Ali Soomro, said that the report of the National Reference Laboratory of the Ministry of Health, which was received here on Friday, confirmed that chicken of one of the farms of the Gadap Town had H5N1 and the Newcastle disease.
    
"An expert team conducted raid on the farm near the Super Highway and culled chickens while spray was also conducted there. People are being informed about the precautionary measures in order to prevent the spread of the virus," a city government spokesman said.