Uganda buys bird flu testing Umachine

Apr 02, 2006

UGANDA has acquired a machine for testing the H5N1 virus strain commonly referred to as bird flu, to safeguard the country against the epidemic, reports <b>Paul Kiwuuwa.</b><br><br>

UGANDA has acquired a machine for testing the H5N1 virus strain commonly referred to as bird flu, to safeguard the country against the epidemic, reports Paul Kiwuuwa.
Addressing journalists at Nandos Restaurant in Kampala on Saturday, Dr. Nicholas Kauta (above), the commissioner for livestock Health and entomology, said the machine, which detects over 100 strains of bird diseases, was kept at the Entebbe Virus Research Institute.
He said scientists had done tests on samples collected from the Lake Mburo National Park, where some Nyange (egrets) died recently.
“The samples were tested at Entebbe and in Kenya and both results indicated the birds were free of the deadly avian flu,” Kautu said, adding, “The machine detects the virus in five minutes.”
Dr. William Olaho, the director of animal resources in the agriculture ministry, said the government had imported 1,000 doses of ‘Tam flu’ drugs, to treat people who might get infected in case of the virus attacked.
“The Government imported 1,000 dozes last month from Switzerland and the drugs are stored at Entebbe Medical Stores,” Olaho said.
“The government will compensate chicken commercial breeders, if birds are attacked in Uganda.
“There is a global state of alert to potential pandemic influenza outbreak as a result of more than 60 human deaths in south east Asia,” Olaho added.
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