Friday, March 24, 2006
Bird flu spreads to Jordan
THE deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu has spread to Jordan but there are no human cases, Jordan’s Health Minister Said Darwazeh said today.
He said at least three dead turkeys at a domestic farm in Ajloun had tested positive for the disease but none of the humans tested in the area was infected.
Twenty people were given the Tamiflu vaccine and the area has been cordoned off to prevent the disease from spreading further.
The virus had already been detected in some of Jordan’s neighbours and other countries in the region. Iraq, Turkey and Egypt have suffered human cases and infected poultry was found in southern Israel and spread to the densely populated Palestinian Gaza Strip this week.
Jordan had been on high alert since bird flu was detected in Israel, Mr Darwazeh said, adding that Jordan’s outbreak had been contained.