Saudi Arabia begins culling of chicken

Riyadh: Municipal and agricultural bodies in Saudi Arabia have culled around 2 million chicken for suspicious of being infected by the deadly bird flu virus.

Last week, Saudi Arabia said that it has not discovered cases of bird flu in a farm in Al Kharj, 80 kms south of Riyadh. All the birds at the farm were subsequently culled and the area disinfected, with measures taken to ensure other farms in the area were not affected.

Saudi security forces and Red Crescent vehicles were seen at the site cordoning the area where several poultry farms are located. Subsequently, immunised workers culled and buried 1.8 million chickens.

Meanwhile, the Riyadh Municipality closed down 85 stalls for selling birds at the birds market in Aziziya to the south of Riyadh after reported cases of bird flu.

Dr. Falah Al Dossary, chairman of the ad hoc committee assigned to deal with the disease, said that the committee decided to cull all birds on sale at the market.

“The committee has closed down the market after suspicious cases of bird flu,'' he told reporters.

Fear spread among workers at the market after the Ministry of Hhealth took their blood samples for screening.

Earlier, the Saudi health and agriculture authorities announced that beside cases of bird flu in Al Kharj, other cases were discovered in Duarma, 60km west of Riyadh, and Al Hayathem, 100km southwest of Riyadh.

In a related development, members of the Saudi Shoura (Consultative) Council, asked the agriculture and health ministers to give more details about the bird flu situation in the Kingdom.

They underlined the importance that facts and details should be announced to the public and that urgent steps should be taken to eradicate the disease.

The Saudi poultry breeders' society called for a ban on the breeding of birds at homes, markets and recreational centres.

The committee board chairman, Abdullah Bin Bakr Qadi, said that the society would work hard for the issuance of such a decision.