Pakistan confirms third bird flu case

PAKISTAN confirmed Saturday that the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus has been found in samples obtained from a home in the capital Islamabad, reports Xinhua.

This was the country's third bird flu case since early February, when the virus was found in samples received from two households in Rawalpindi and in northwestern city of Mansehra.

However, no case of the virus has been reported from commercial birds in the country, Mohammed Afzal, spokesman for the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, was quoted by the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan as saying.

"An effective monitoring system has been evolved to check any report of Bird flu in the country," Afzal said.

People keeping fancy birds have been asked to get their birds vaccinated against avian influenza and prevent them from contacting with wild birds, according to the official.

The virus hit Pakistan's poultry industry last year and authorities slaughtered thousands of birds.

ThePoultrySite News Desk

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