ISLAMABAD: Federal Secretary of Health Syed Anwar Mehmood said on Friday no confirmation of any human case of bird flu virus has been reported so far in the country adding that out of 40 samples collected from different parts of the Federal Capital where the virus H5N1 was reported all the 23 tests conducted have proven negative.
In a joint press conference with World Health Organization representative Dr Khalif Billey and Director General Health Abdul Majeed Rajput, he said a grand project has been planned costing Rs 270 million for protection against bird flu, which has been forwarded to the Ministry of Finance for budgetary approval.
The Federal Secretary told 3 pharmaceutical companies have started manufacturing its vaccine that will result in fulfilling vaccine requirement in Pakistan.
He said no case of human infection from H5N1 virus was found after tests were conducted on samples conducted from Sihala and Tarlai areas of Federal Capital.
11 persons from Sihala whereas 14 persons were tested from the area of Tarlai the results of 23 cases proved to be negative, he mentioned.
Results of 2 more tests will come soon.
Today (Friday) 15 more samples were collected from Tarlai, he mentioned.
He said at the National Institute of Health a state-of-the-art laboratory has been established that provides with precise results within 8 hours.
To update people on the precautionary measures against the virus Ministry of Health, Ministry of Livestock and WHO are endeavoring jointly, he stated.
An area within 3 km circumference of the infected poultry farms have been vacated and sealed as part of precautionary measures he told.
He said there is no shortage of bird flu vaccine in the country.
Ministry of Health has forwarded Rs 270 million PC-1 to the Finance Ministry for approval that include Rs 0.16 billion for medicine and other precautionary steps.
He said presently 3 patients are admitted in an isolation ward at PIMS.
Speaking on the occasion WHO Representative Dr Khalif Billey who is keeping a close watch at the situation said the international body is satisfied by the steps taken by the Ministry of Health.
Monitoring teams have been appointed in the affected areas in addition to that special teams are reaching out to people from home to home and collecting samples of persons suspected of the ailment. | 
Health
