RIYADH, 22 November 2007 — A total of 3.2 million birds on 10 farms have been culled as a preventive measure to curtail the spread of the H5N1 avian flu, Agricultural Minster Fahd Balghunaim said in a television interview that was aired on Saudi television yesterday. “Birds in seven farms in Riyadh where the virus was detected were culled. The chickens in another three farms were also culled because the farms are situated hazardously close to the farms where the virus appeared first,” Balghunaim said.
The minister assured farmers who lost huge investments in the poultry sector would be adequately compensated by the Agriculture Ministry in line with the directives issued by the Council of Ministers.
The minister explained that the preventive measures adopted by his ministry included burning infected poultry. The chicken feed and other leftovers were also burned and the farms were sanitized.
Remedial actions are being taken by the ministry through a national committee in cooperation with the World Health Organization and World Organization For Animal Health to confront the problem.
The minister attributed the outbreak of the virus in the Kingdom to migratory birds. The Kingdom is part of the flight route of millions of birds migrating from Central Asia and Eastern Europe to Africa.
“We have even restricted the import of all kinds of birds, including canaries and lovebirds, and a strict ban on hunting of birds is currently in force,” said the minister. Falcons are allowed in to the Kingdom after passing through quarantine.
The minister also warned against people buying live or slaughtered chicken of unidentified origins. The minister said the bird market in Riyadh was being shut down because the market has not fulfilled hygienic standards.
According to a statement by Mohammed Zaid Al-Julaifi, director general of Animal Resources at the Ministry of Agriculture, yesterday: “Birds were culled in farms in Al-Kharj, Durma, Muzamiyah Al Hayati and Al Aziziyah poultry market in Riyadh as a preventive measure. He explained that poultry in the radius of 5 kms from any farm found with the virus have been destroyed.
While refuting rumors that humans were affected by bird flu in the Kingdom, Al-Julaifi said that the national committee has intensified its efforts to see that farm workers are properly protected from the virus. Early this week, officials from the Ministry of Health examined poultry farm workers in the Kingdom; they tested negative for bird flu.
Adults and children are advised to keep away from birds and not to hunt birds living on land and water. They have been warned not to touch dead birds without gloves.
Al-Julaifi said that the export of poultry has been suspended due to the current situation. He said he hoped the situation would ease in coming months.
The ministry called upon the public not to have direct contact with live birds and said chicken and eggs should be cooked properly before eating to avoid infection.
There are more than 340 licensed poultry farms across the country and they produce nearly 480 million birds annually. Total investment in the industry is estimated at more than SR40 billion.
Avian flu outbreak has sent shockwaves among businessmen who have invested in the industry as they fear that it would affect their business. Many poultry shops have reported declines in sales and some have frozen their chicken to avert big losses.
The public has been called on to inform authorities about suspected bird flu cases by contacting 01-403-0911.
