CAIRO: The Egyptian health ministry said this week that the country is moving ahead with efforts to stall the spread of the deadly avian influenza, or the H5N1 virus, after a surge in reported cases were reported in recent weeks. The ministry hopes that their efforts can curtail the virus from causing a widespread epidemic in the country, or mutating with the swine flu virus to cause what health have feared would be a super virus.

The sale of poultry between any of Egypt’s 29 governorates is to be banned, and a major Health Ministry-led awareness campaign will alert the public to the dangers of raising birds at home, Sabir Galal, deputy chief of the Veterinary Medicine Section at the Health Ministry, told local newspapers.

“Bird flu has become endemic in this country … the fear now is that the virus can assume more dangerous forms in the days to come,” he said.

The ministry also said it would stop inoculating birds after vaccines had proved incapable of stopping the virus from spreading.

With 105 infections to date and 30 deaths, Egypt is the world’s third most affected country by avian influenza, according to the World Health Organization. The reason for Egypt’s large number of cases is due to its proximity to three continents and is a regular stopover for migratory birds from Asia, Africa and Europe.

BM

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