Hundreds of dead birds in northwest Yemen [Archives:2006/918/Local News]

HAIS, Feb. 5 ) Villagers have expressed concern as hundreds of chickens in Hais, Hudeidah governorate died mysteriously.

An Al-Tihami village woman said, “Chickens suddenly fell ill and died, as well as those in the chicken factory. I myself know of more than 50 dead birds belonging to my neighbors.”

Local resident Mujeeb Al-Silwi confirmed this, adding, “Although we see dying birds everywhere, no one has come to check whether this epidemic is dangerous or not. We have had no government attention whatsoever until now.”

The Bird Flu Operation Chamber in Sana'a affirmed that it had not received any prior reports from that area regarding dead birds and that it would look into the situation. A specialized chamber doctor emphasized that so far, not a single case of bird flu has been confirmed. He noted that chamber staff are working round the clock as a precautionary measure against the disease's spread in Yemen.

In recent months, dead birds were reported in various Yemeni regions, but they were confirmed as Newcastle disease, an epidemic with symptoms similar to bird flu.

Lying midway between Taiz and Hudeidah in northwest Yemen, Hais is a hilly area with insufficient infrastructure. Most locals work on farms and raise livestock, in addition to a small percentage working in the education sector. Local residents are becoming alarmed because they have heard about the bird flu epidemic through radio and television channels.

Most commonly known as bird flu, avian influenza is an infectious bird disease caused by type A strains of the influenza virus. The disease occurs worldwide. While all birds are thought to be susceptible to avian flu infection, many wild bird species carry the virus with no apparent signs of harm.
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