CAIRO: The Egyptian Cabinet denied what was reported by some websites and social media pages to be the emergence of a new H10 bird flu strain in Egypt.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation in a statement confirmed that there have been no recorded cases of the H10 bird flu strain in any of the governorates of the country.
The ministry stressed that investigation committees affiliated with it have intensified their campaigns in all governorates — on bird farms, markets, and the paths of migratory birds — as a precautionary measure to identify any epidemic diseases affecting birds.
The ministry added that comprehensive examinations of birds are conducted regularly, with samples drawn for analysis at the Animal Health Research Institute to ensure their safety.
The World Organization for Animal Health officially included Egypt in the list of countries whose facilities are free from avian influenza, the ministry said.
More than 30 facilities have been accredited as avian influenza-free for the first time in Egypt in over 14 years.
The Avian Influenza Laboratory at the Animal Health Research Institute has been accredited by the World Organization for Animal Health as a reference laboratory, making it the only such laboratory for the organization in the Middle East and Africa, according to the ministry.
A strategy for combating bird flu is also being implemented through active epidemiological investigation procedures that are carried out in bird markets across Egypt.
The ministry pointed out that vaccination campaigns against avian influenza and other epidemic diseases are being implemented in various governorates of the country.
It added that safety certificates had been issued to farms that comply with biosecurity measures, with the aim of combating endemic diseases in livestock and poultry.
