No bird flu in Victoria Falls: official
9/7/2006 9:42
Zimbabwe's Department of Veterinary Services has allayed fears of an Avian
Influenza outbreak in the resort town of Victoria Falls following the deaths of
wild birds in neighboring Livingstone, Zambia.
Speaking at a Matabeleland
North Provincial Committee meeting in Bulawayo on Friday, the head of the
department in the province Polex Moyo said fears of the deadly H5N1 bird flu
virus outbreak were "just a scare."
There were reports that poultry producers
in Victoria Falls, supermarkets and residents had stopped buying chickens
following the deaths of the birds in Livingstone.
More than 40 birds were
found dead at the end of last month in the Zambian town, a major nesting area
for the migratory birds.
"It was just a scare because after some tests it was
proven that they (the Livingstone birds) did not have bird flu. So it's nothing
to worry about," Moyo said.
He said as a precautionary measure, his
department had deployed personnel along Zimbabwe's border with Zambia to monitor
the volumes of poultry products moving between the two
countries.
Xinhua news
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