No human cases in bird flu outbreak in Saudi Arabia

Riyadh/Dubai: The Saudi health ministry has assured residents that no person has been infected with a deadly bird flu virus.

Saudi Arabia reported yesterday that 1,500 birds died in a poultry project in Kharj, 80km to the south of Riyadh, due to bird flu. However, medical tests at the farm showed none of the workers had contracted the lethal H5N1 strain, the ministry said.

In the UAE, a senior officials said the emergency plan to combat bird flu is fully ready. "A clear cut plan is in place to ensure appropriate steps are taken in case of an outbreak," Majid Al Mansouri, Head of the Secretariat of the National Committee for Emergency Response to Bird Flu, told Gulf News.