Egypt's PM urges public not to panic over bird flu outbreak

Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Nazef on Saturday urged the public not to panic, one day after seven chickens were tested positive for the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus, the first such case found in Egypt.

"The public should not panic and the government is taking all measures to protect them," Nazef said in a statement.

The government has been following up the situation ever since the appearance of the first bird flu case and it has already had a work plan in place to deal with situation, he said.

Meanwhile, Egyptian Minister of State for Environment Affairs Maged George Elias said the ministry had started an expanded media campaign to raise awareness of the public about the possible danger of the bird flu disease.

Among the measures taken, the ministry has published brochures on the avian flu, which will be distributed among the Egyptians, said the minister.

Egyptian cabinet spokesman Magdi Radi told state television on Saturday that seven cases of deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu had been confirmed in the capital Cairo, its sister governorate of Giza and the southern governorate of Menya.

Radi also said that there had been no human case of bird flu in Egypt.

Source: Xinhua