Emergency plan in place to prevent entry of bird flu

Coordination with other bodies pursued

KUWAIT CITY, Oct 24, (KUNA): The Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR) announced Monday an emergency plan to prevent the entry of H9N2 bird flu to the country.

The authority has prepared an emergency and precautionary plan based on the preventive methods accredited by World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), PAAAFR Director General, Faisal Al-Hasawi told KUNA.

PAAAFR has been coordinating with all official bodies in the country such as the Ministry of Health, Municipality of Kuwait, Finance and Interior Ministries to form a joint committee with the authority to develop and implement the plan, he added.

H9N2 bird flu appeared in one of the neighboring countries, and it’s the most dangerous types of flu spread between livestock and poultry, AlHasawi said.

This type of bird flu spreads very quickly which causes heavy economic losses, recalling at the same time the large losses suffered by livestock sector in the country in 2008.

The joint efforts with the authority will prevent the infection between the livestock and then to the humans.