Yemen testing dead poultry for H5N1 bird flu virus

[Anne]

hi, I could'nt find yemen.
you can move it

http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=75397

YEMEN: Top official issues bird flu warning

Photo: Muhammad al-Jabri/IRIN

Some 600,000 families that depend on poultry for their livelihood will face big losses, according to Yemen’s Ministry of Agriculture

SANAA, 20 November 2007 (IRIN) - The General Department for Animal Resources (GDAR) at Yemen’s Ministry of Agriculture says it is worried about the potential for an outbreak of bird flu, but has at the same time warned that its resources and capacity are limited.

As a first precautionary measure against bird flu, Yemen has banned imports of poultry products from Saudi Arabia, which recently culled 90,000 birds after the lethal H5N1 strain of bird flue was detected in a poultry farm. Yemen imports about 60 percent of its poultry products from Saudi Arabia, according to Ghaleb al-Eryani, director-general of the GDAR.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the H5N1 strain first emerged in Asia in 2003, and has so far caused some 205 deaths in humans.

Al-Eryani told IRIN his department had received several reports from citizens and farmers over the past few days. “Two days ago, a local citizen reported to us that 8,000 chickens had died on his poultry farm which had 10,000 chickens. Despite limited resources, we took samples for laboratory tests,” he said.

Surveillance work halted

However, al-Eryani said that because of limited resources his department could not do much. It had already stopped bird flu surveillance work for some months now.

Photo: Muhammad al-Jabri/IRIN

Ghaleb al-Eryani, general director of the GDAR, says his department lacks funding to deal with possible brid flu outbreaks

“Over the past seven months, the surveillance team and operation room responsible for bird flu surveillance have stopped working because of financial problems. The Ministry of Finance has not paid the budget for the surveillance work, for which the cabinet had assigned 50 million riyals (US$ 250,000). The budget is meant for bird flu surveillance in Yemen‘s governorates,” he said.

Al-Eryani said surveillance teams in the governorates were not working as they had not been paid and had lost trust in his department.

According to him, Yemen recently received a US$1 million donation from the World Bank to help the country prepare for any possible outbreak of bird flu.

“An expert from the Bank visited us 9-16 November and was not happy when he learnt that the [bird flu] surveillance programme had been halted due to financial problems. The Bank threatened to withdraw the donation if the problem was not solved,” he added.

Livelihoods at risk

Experts at the GDAR say Yemen, especially its coastal areas, is a crossing point for migratory birds from Africa and Europe. During winter a bird flu outbreak is likely to occur in Yemen as migratory birds from Europe pass over Yemen to seek warmer climes in Africa, they told IRIN.

Al-Eryani warned that the private sector could be affected by any outbreak. “Some 600,000 families that depend on poultry for their livelihood will face big losses,” he said.

He said the trade in live birds posed a threat that could affect millions of people: “They move poultry from farms to markets, and from one governorate to another while they are still alive. Then they distribute them to shops in neighbourhoods, where they are sold live,” he said.

maj/ar/cb

[Dutchy]

Yemen testing dead poultry for H5N1 bird flu virus



Yemeni authorities are testing farm birds for the deadly strain of the bird flu virus H5N1 after several people reported deaths of poultry at their farms, an agriculture ministry official said.

'It will be some time before we find out, meanwhile we have banned imports from all countries with confirmed cases,' the official said.

He said the dead birds were found in several parts of the country, without being more specific.

Authorities in Saudi Arabia have culled 220,000 birds since last week after an outbreak at a poultry farm in the town of Al Kharj in the central region of the kingdom, far from its Yemen border.

Yemen, on the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is one of the poorest countries outside Africa. It has a population of 19 million.Reuters

http://www.tradearabia.com/news/news...I&artid=134387

[HenryN]

Originally Posted by Dutchy

Yemen testing dead poultry for H5N1 bird flu virus



Yemeni authorities are testing farm birds for the deadly strain of the bird flu virus H5N1 after several people reported deaths of poultry at their farms, an agriculture ministry official said.

'It will be some time before we find out, meanwhile we have banned imports from all countries with confirmed cases,' the official said.

He said the dead birds were found in several parts of the country, without being more specific.

Authorities in Saudi Arabia have culled 220,000 birds since last week after an outbreak at a poultry farm in the town of Al Kharj in the central region of the kingdom, far from its Yemen border.

Yemen, on the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is one of the poorest countries outside Africa. It has a population of 19 million.Reuters

http://www.tradearabia.com/news/news...I&artid=134387

I believe that local media is citing locations primarily in western Yemen.

[Anne]

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=41789

8 000 chicken..

[HenryN]

Bird flu cases registered in Saudi Arabia and Yemen
		20:24 | 21/ 11/ 2007

ABU DHABI, November 21 (RIA Novosti) - Cases of bird flu have been registered in two neighboring Arab countries - Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
Bird deaths have been registered in several Saudi regions, as well as in a number of regions in Yemen.
Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have stopped importing Saudi poultry products as a result of the outbreak, and large-scale culls of birds have taken place in the UAE, according to the local Gulf News newspaper.
The last case of avian influenza was registered in Saudi Arabia in March. No cases of humans being infected with the disease have been reported in Saudi Arabia. The deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu has killed over 200 people since the first registered outbreak of the disease in southeast Asia in 2003.

http://en.rian.ru/world/20071121/89002329.html

[HenryN]

Commentary at

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/11...1_Arabian.html

[Niko]

Originally Posted by Anne

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=41789

8 000 chicken..

Thank you. I merged the threads.

[Theresa42]

Director of Ministry of Agriculture saying (not sure?) bf hasn't been found in Yemen yet?

Google-translated from Arabic:

Algosos demanding the government raise willingness to confront the epidemic
Director general of the Agriculture Information Buserah (Awakening Net): For Augod of avian influenza in Yemen, and precautionary measures in border areas

22/11/2007 Awakening Net - specific special - Salami

Denied. Mansour sensible, general manager of Information and Guidance Ministry of Agriculture health and the emergence of an avian influenza pandemic in the country, said in a statement sensible, "The Awakening of the Net" There intimidation and exaggeration by some on this side, and in fact contrary to the way in which some people told them, believing in the death of some chickens a number of other farms natural phenomenon, adding that the ministry has precautionary measures in the border regions of Yemen after the emergence of avian influenza indicators in Saudi Arabia and Rift Valley fever in Sudan and there is a difference inspection and investigation are continuing in the border.

The assertion of reason saying "bird flu did not appear in Yemen at all so far, adding that even rumors that the past year regarding his appearance in Yemen sent samples to Egypt and we have checks and make sure we lack quality in Yemen.

In the meantime, Deputy Pereira Algosos member of the Health Committee of Parliament the government to seriously prepare to face the epidemic and preventing infiltration in the country, especially after his appearance confirmed in neighboring countries, and across Algosos told the "Awakening of the Net" feared that the transmission in the country which suffer from the level government laboratories and the absence of material required for the tests.

Algosos said that the interplay of government and ministries concerned before such phenomena did not live up to the required level, he added, was originally to be preparations for the emergence of the epidemic in the year in 2005, and wondered Algosos the share of health and agriculture in the budget in 2007 and additional appropriation to face such dangerous epidemics.

http://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/view_ne...07_11_22_59592

[Niko]

Any updates?

Yemen checks dead poultry for bird flu

Posted on : 2007-11-21 | Author : DPA News Category : Health

Sana'a, Yemen - A Yemeni official said Wednesday authorities were testing farm chickens after reports about the death of poultry in several parts of the country. "We received several reports from farmers during the past few days about the death of birds," Ghalib al-Eryani of the Agriculture Ministry told the official Saba news agency. He said concerns were high that the birds were infected by the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu virus. "Procedures have been taken to combat the strain, and imports from infected countries were banned," the official said. Al-Eryani said teams were sent to poultry farms to make necessary tests. Neighbouring Saudi Arabia have culled more than 200,000 birds since mid-November after the outbreak of the deadly H5N1 virus in a central region of the kingdom.

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/145942.html#

[Theresa42]

Originally Posted by Niko

Any updates?

No, not really. I just keep seeing reports that there is no bird flu in Yemen (or that not has been found) like in my post just above yours. The first report in this thread posted by Anne sure is suspicious sounding, though -- 8,000 of 10,000 poultry died on one farm? Hmmmmmm.....