Mahmood Soroush, the head of the ministrys Center for Communicable Disease Control, told Irans IRNA news agency on Saturday that the avian flu, most common form of which is the H5N8 strain, had infected birds in more than 15 Iranian provinces.
Soroush said it had already been detected in many countries, especially in the region spanning between Siberia and the Horn of Africa.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="555"]
A view of the building of Irans Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education in the capital, Tehran.[/caption]A view of the building of Irans Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education in the capital, TehranHe said the ministry had issued three statements warning about contamination even close to urban areas, particularly near lagoons, and demanding people to avoid touching any kind of birds.
We seriously urge people to avoid touching dead birds or even living migratory ones, the official said.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="555"]
Workers place ducks in a bin filled with poison gas in a poultry farm in Latrille, France, January 6, 2017. (Photo by AP)[/caption]The Iranian Health Ministry is taking different measures concerning education, vaccination, and the distribution of medicationin affected areas, Soroush added.
He stressed that people should use only chickens and eggs that have certification from the Iran Veterinary Organization or the Ministry of Agriculture and avoid using local poultry products until further notice.
No human cases of bird flu
Those who have fever following physical contact with birds should promptly refer to medical centers, the official pointed out. He said, however, that no cases of human infection had been detected in Iran.
So far, we havent had even a single case of human infection with bird flu or anything like it, but preventative measures such as vaccination, distribution of medication, and sampling from at-risk individuals continue, he added.
The H5N8 strain of bird flu is deadly for poultry, but has not been detected in humans. The virus has spread across Europe and the Middle East since late last year and led to the culling of hundreds of thousands of poultry.
