JEDDAH, 15 November 2007 — Saudi Arabia’s Agriculture Ministry announced yesterday that it had culled 50,000 birds after a deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu was detected at a poultry farm in Al-Kharj, 150 kms south of Riyadh, the Saudi Press Agency said.
The ministry said tests were carried out after 1,500 birds died in the farm, which had a total of 50,000 birds. The ministry learned of the deaths on Monday. “All of the birds at the farm were subsequently culled and the area disinfected, with measures taken to ensure other farms in the area were not affected,” SPA quoted the ministry as saying.
It said no human cases of bird flu had been found and an investigation was taking place to determine the origin of the illness. Health and municipal authorities in Al-Kharj have taken steps to ensure that the individuals dealing with the birds are not affected.
The ministry has called upon poultry farmers to strictly implement safety regulations. It also called on the public to inform authorities about suspected bird flu cases by contacting 01-403-0911.
It also advised the public not to hunt migratory birds. The ministry said there was no danger in consuming chicken produced in the Kingdom as local producers follow safety regulations. The Kingdom banned all live poultry imports after bird flu was last detected in Saudi Arabia in March.
