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NAWABSHAH, March 4: The district administration has formed a four-member team which will visit poultry farms and hospitals to investigate if bird flu existed in the district. Speaking at a meeting held here on Saturday, EDO (health) Dr Khaliq Mangnejo said that avian flu was a contagious poultry disease caused by type-A strain of influenza virus.
He said that the influenza might result in rapid systematic illness and death to susceptible birds.
He said domestic chicken were most vulnerable to the disease as mortality among them exceed to 50 per cent.
He said that avian influenza did not usually infect human, however, once transmitted, it might cause disease with symptoms ranging from cough, throat soaring, muscle ache, eye infection, pneumonia, acute respiratory distress and viral pneumonia.
Mr Mangnejo said that it could readily be transmitted from one to another human with infectious agents H5N1 and H9, H7 and H10.
He said that H7, N3 and H9N2 sub-types were reported in poultry in Pakistan from 2003 to 2005.
He said that infectious period was seven days after resolution of fever in adults and 21 days after onset of illness in children and the virus survive in low temperature.
He said that virus could be killed by heat as food cooked at 70 degree centigrade and above was not infected.
He said that patients with suspect avian influenza should be hospitalized under isolation.
He said the public health officer should be trained.
The medical superintendent of the People’s Medical College Hospital, Dr Mehfooz Qureshi, said that the plan was being made and a rapid response team (RRT) was being constituted in by the ministry of food, agriculture and livestock to investigate suspected outbreak of H5N1 among the poultry and other migratory birds.
He said that a four-member team would visit poultry farms and hospitals.
He said that two public health experts would be trained to respond to suspected outbreaks of avian influenza.
He said that the team would be provided with gloves, masks, caps, goggles, gown and boot covers.
He said that an isolation ward which was set up for Congo virus in the PMC hospital would be used in case any bird flu case was detected.
DCO Razzaq Qureshi directed poultry farms owners to shift all poultry farms out of city so people could be saved from unhygienic atmosphere.
WATER SCHEME: President Pervez Musharraf had approved a water supply scheme and filter plant for the Nawabshah city.
This was stated by Nawabshah Taluka Nazim Abdul Rauf Khan, while talking to reporters at the press club here on Saturday.
He said that MQM chief Altaf Hussain had taken efforts to get this scheme approved.
He said that the scheme would cost Rs550 million and would provide clean drinking water to people.
He said that the taluka council constructed 36 different roads in the city within six months by using funds of MNAs and senators of the MQM.
He said that he got approved burns and tetanus ward for the PMC hospital at a cost of Rs280 million when he was special assistant to the Sindh chief minister.
He said that the Nawabshah-Shahdadpur-Hala bypass scheme costing Rs360 million would be included in ADP next year which would facilitate travellers and would provide alternate route.
He said that an IT centre was approved by former IT minister Mustafa Kamal on the Shahdadpur road at a cost of Rs140 million and the work would start soon.
He said that sodium lights would soon be installed at 36 different spots in city to give a beautiful look.
He said that an amount of Rs19 million was transferred to railways account from the funds of Senator Mohammad Ali Brohi for the construction of railway under pass which was a demand of citizens.
The taluka nazim handed over a cheque of Rs100,000 as first instalment of the grant for Nawabshah press club.
