|
| all news articles | by topics |
|
news
articles about singapore's wild places
|
| Channel
NewsAsia, 14 Sep 05 India to keep close watch on migratory birds for deadly flu 1NEW DELHI : India will keep a close watch on migratory birds flying into the country from China, Kazakhstan and Vietnam following an outbreak of bird flu in Asia, Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss said Tuesday. India has not reported any cases of bird flu, "but we must anticipate its arrival and spread in India one day, and be prepared to respond adequately, if we are to contain the disease," he was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India. He said flocks of bar-headed geese, which migrate every year to India from China and Kazhakstan, posed a threat as the bird flu had been found on the birds. "India has banned import of poultry products from the countries affected by the bird flu but the migratory birds pose the only problem," Ramadoss said. The virus strain has been found in migratory geese at a forest reserve in western China, Indian wildlife officials said. Tens of thousands of birds that could be carrying the H5N1 Avian Influenza virus are due to leave the reserve in September to head for warmer climes across the Himalayas and in the south, towards Australia and New Zealand, they added. The birds usually reach India in early October. Indian health officials said they were worried the migratory birds could transmit the virus to domestic animals, and then to people. The H5N1 strain of bird flu has killed 62 people in Asia in the past two years, excluding the latest Indonesian case. Health experts have warned it could spark a global pandemic if it develops the ability to spread quickly among humans. - AFP /dt links Related articles on Global issues: bird flu issues, polices, impact |
| News articles are reproduced for non-profit educational purposes. | |
website©ria tan 2003 www.wildsingapore.com |