Health alert in south warns of bird flu

The Iraqi government has raised a health alert in a southern governorate after local laboratory tests confirmed the presence of the H5N1 bird flu virus in dozens of birds in the area. Mainly chickens were found to be carrying the virus in Missan governorate, some 250 km southeast of Baghdad. “Locals from Missan are prohibited from carrying birds outside the area, and we’ve alerted them not to eat such birds until emergency steps are carried out by local officials to prevent the spread of the disease,” said Ibtissam Azize, a spokesperson for the bird flu programme at the Ministry of Health. According to Azize, the borders of the province have been closed and checkpoints prepared by Iraqi soldiers attempting to prevent birds from leaving the affected area. “Locals in that area traditionally take birds to nearby cities and villages,” said Azize. “But this has been prohibited because the virus was found not in migratory birds, but in domestic ones.” A team of experts from the health ministry arrived in Missan on Wednesday to supervise the culling of birds in suspected areas. While the exact number of birds killed so far has not been released, Azize said thousands would be culled but that farmers would receive compensation for their losses. Cars passing through checkpoints in the governorate are being cleaned by special disinfectant as a prevention method. “This is a very dangerous situation because the virus has been found in local birds and the speed of transmission is quicker,” said Azize. The health team says that the public does not realise the seriousness of the situation and that some people, with little else to eat, have hidden birds in their homes. Meanwhile, tests are being carried out at a World Health Organisation (WHO) laboratory in Egypt on samples taken from about 10 suspected human cases in Iraq, including the uncle of a girl who died of the disease in northern Iraq on 17 January. A 13-year-old boy from Missan suspected to have the virus died on 5 February. According to local officials, a WHO prevention team is expected to visit Missan later this week. A team remains in northern Iraq to help local authorities prevent the spread of the flu.