Georgia Steps up Measures to Prevent Bird Flu

Authorities in Georgia are stepping up measures to prevent spread of bird flu following three lethal cases reported in eastern Turkey caused by suspected H5N1 form of bird flu.

Officials say that extra supplies of Tamiflu ? only drug known to be effective against bird flu ? will be purchased. Security measures have also been heightened at the border with Turkey.

Georgian Minister of Agriculture Mikheil Svimonishvili met with local poultry producers to discuss situation on January 6.

?We have our monitoring groups regularly inspecting poultry production factories throughout Georgia and I can assure that the local poultry is absolutely safe,? Svimonishvili told Imedi television.

Georgian Healthcare Minister Lado Chipashvili said on January 5 that although no case of bird flu has been found in Georgia yet, situation is ?serious, which requires complex preventative measures.?

Last October the Georgian government allocated GEL 800,000 (USD 445,000) for measures to prevent the arrival of the bird flu virus in the country. Georgia has banned poultry import from number of countries including from Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria and Russia.

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