Who am I to judge?

Results today; Shatti ‘mum’ on ‘bird flu positive’

KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait on Wednesday sent samples of the four Bangladeshi bird handlers to WHO laboratory in Cairo for confirmation of test results conducted in Kuwait, says Dr Ahmad Al-Shatti, spokesman for the Health Ministry. According to Dr Al-Shatti, the test results are expected on Thursday. The four workers were earlier referred to the Infectious Diseases Hospital after they showed bird-flu symptoms. Dr Al-Shatti refused to be drawn into the outcome of the preliminary tests conducted in the country. “We have sent the samples of the bird handlers to the WHO laboratory in Cairo and unless we get the results, I am not in a position to say anything. We are the sole body entrusted with announcing the outcome of positive cases of bird flu both in humans as well as in birds,” he added.

Describing the bird flu situation in the country as under control, Dr Al-Shatti said: “The bird handlers are in good health and there is no cause for concern. We have plans in place to deal with any emergent situation.”
Kuwait has so far not detected any human bird flu case. Kuwait reported outbreak of bird flu in late February and since then the authorities are combating the disease on a war-footing.
In this regard, around 1.6 million birds have been slaughtered and the four bird handlers were members of a team that is tasked with slaughtering birds mainly in Wafra area, where a majority of the positive cases were discovered.
Kuwait has around 10 million capsules of Tami flu, an anti-viral drug. Since the outbreak of bird flu in the country, the authorities have shut down the bird market in Shuwaikh in addition to banning sale of poultry products in all residential areas.
The Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources together with the Ministry of Health (MoH) have formed numerous teams which visit farms across the country in order to fumigate and take samples of birds.
Agencies add:
A total of 106 cases of the strain have so far been confirmed in birds.
In November 2005, the Gulf state announced the first case of a bird infected with the H5N1 strain — a flamingo at a seaside villa.
The H5N1 strain, the most aggressive form, has killed 170 people worldwide, according to WHO, and seen millions of birds destroyed.
H5N1 is an avian influenza subtype with pandemic potential, since it might ultimately adapt into a strain that is contagious among humans.
According to samples tested by Health Ministry, no human bird flu cases were confirmed in Kuwait within the last 24 hours, said Dr Al-Shatti.
Last night, he said, the committee held its annual meeting headed by Health Minister Dr Maasouma Al-Mubarak and reviewed reports submitted by the ministry and Public Authority for Agriculture Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR) regarding the flu’s latest developments.

The committee was informed about the referral of four Asian workers who interacted with birds to the Contagious Diseases Hospital, said Al-Shatti who noted that a total of 22 persons were referred to the hospital during the last five weeks. Al-Mubarak informed the committee about Kuwait leadership’s decision to compensate the owners of birds for their losses and PAAAFR’s assignment of setting guidelines for these compensations. The committee’s members lauded these steps, hoping they would boost cooperation and precautionary measures against the disease.

By Francis A. Clifford Cardozo
Arab Times Staff