Bird flu reaches Afghanistan

The lethal H5N1 strain of bird flu has been confirmed in Afghanistan, recent reports reveal.

A test on bird flu samples confirmed at least six cases of the virus in eastern Jalalabad city early this week.

Although no human cases have so far been detected throughout the country, it is feared that hundreds of thousands of people will perish once the virus is transmitted to humans.

Cases of bird flu have already been found in neighbouring Pakistan and India. India last week closed down hundreds of thousands of poultry farms after the virus was tested positive in many chickens.

The Afghan government has imposed a ban on the import of chickens from Pakistan.


The Afghan Ministry of Health lacks resources and facilities to prevent the pandemic.

Further, most of the Afghan population do not have any knowledge of the disease. There is therefore a dire need for launching public awareness campaigns on the virus.

Bearing in mind the government's inability to cope with the lethal disease, the UN and the international community should take urgent, precautionary measures before it is too late.