AMMAN -- A senior health official on Monday said Jordan remains a high-risk country with regard to a possible outbreak of bird flu.
"Jordan is like any other country in the world that is at risk of facing an outbreak of bird flu," Health Ministry Diseases Control Director Adel Bilbeisi told The Jordan Times yesterday.
Bilbeisi's statements contradict previous statements by other Health Ministry official who said the Kingdom was less vulnerable to a bird flu epidemic than coastal countries, adding that the possibility of an outbreak in the country was not high because of the limited number of water bodies.
"Jordan and countries in the Middle East and North Africa are among the high-risk countries because they are on the route of migratory birds," said Bilbeisi, who is a member of the national committee tasked with taking precautionary measures against a possible outbreak of the disease.
In previous statements, officials said the Kingdom was less vulnerable to an outbreak of bird flu as poultry farms in the country are sealed, thus preventing the entry of migratory birds.
However, Bilbeisi said some families in the Kingdom still raise poultry inside their living quarters and called on citizens who followed this practice to stop as this was risky. "Also, people have an important role to play in the prevention of the spread of the disease," he added.
Bilbeisi cited as an example the case of 12-year-old girl Fatma Ozcan, who died in Turkey on Sunday after testing positive for the avian flu. According to Turkish authorities, the number of infected people in Turkey total 19.
According to the World Health Organisation, the virus has killed 79 people since 2003 and infected nearly 150.
The health official said that citizens also should be careful not to come into contact with bird faeces, as infected poultry excrete the virus in their secretions and faeces.
"The virus from an infected bird can transfer to humans in two ways. Firstly, through direct contact and secondly if they touch the faces. Therefore, people should be careful because the disease is transmitted through the respiratory system," Bilbeisi told The Jordan Times.
He said the national committee, comprising personnel from the ministries of health, agriculture, environment and municipal affairs, as well as the Royal Medical Services and several associations and universities, would convene on Wednesday to review the measures taken so far.
To date, the Kingdom has taken several precautionary measures to avert an outbreak of the disease in the country.
Imports of chicken and poultry products, feathers used for decorations and pet birds from all over the world were banned after avian flu started to spread in East Asia and Turkey.
The Cabinet also approved the allocation of JD6 million to finance preventive measures against a possible outbreak of bird flu in the Kingdom. The ministry also purchased anti-flu medication as a preventive measure, prepared hospitals and upgraded diagnostic capabilities.
In addition, the Agriculture Ministry formed teams to monitor areas frequented by migratory birds, poultry farms and bird. In addition, stations were set up to monitor wetlands near the country's nine dams.
Meanwhile, the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature banned bird hunting and set up an operations room tasked with collecting any reported infected or dead birds.
By Mohammad Ghazal
© Jordan Times 2006
