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Village in Romania quarantined as bird flu strikes
A Romanian village was quarantined following the death of three ducks which were tested positive for avian flu. Agriculture minister George Flutur said that these ducks contracted the disease from migrating birds coming from Russia.
It is not still proven if the virus can attack humans. Yet authorities are not preparing to take chances. Ciamurlia, which was the village struck by this disease, has been sealed off. Authorities have barred anybody from hunting and fishing in eight surrounding counties. Imports of chicken and other poultry from 15 countries have been put on hold. However, nobody has been reported sick in that village.
Authorities world-over have been on the alert for confirmed cases of fowl infected with the H5N1 strain of the flu. Earlier, over 60 people had died in Asia after contracting bird flu. It is suspected that some of them might have caught it from other humans.
Meanwhile, Flutur said that efforts are on to send vaccinations and medications to the people of Ciamurlia. These three dead ducks have been sent to London for further diagnosis.
Top health officials from 80 countries have been meeting for the past two days to discuss on how to respond if the current bird flu turns into a pandemic like the Spanish flu which struck in 1918 killing anywhere between twenty to 50 million people. It had taken claimed more lives than World War I.
"The world is clearly unprepared, or inadequately prepared, for a pandemic of H5N1 influenza," said the US health and human services secretary, Mike Leavitt during the conference. The meet will devise a plan so as to monitor the virus closely to allow for a swift response.
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Written
by :
Jun Shen | Published on :
18:03:00
EST
Sat, 08 Oct 2005 |
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