Bird flu in Azerbaijan: Tomorrow it will be too late

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WHO supplied Azerbaijan with facilities and reagents for a laboratory for testing bird flu, informed Health Minister of Azerbaijan Ogtay Shiraliyev. First results of the tests of recently died residents of Sali region, possibly caused by bird flu, were published on March 13. They demonstrated, that three of four dead people were infected by bird flu. All the three are residents of the village of Daikend (Sali region), and are relatives.

Speaking about prophylactic measures, conducted by his ministry, Shiraliyev said that specialists are sent to the provinces of the country to conduct trainings with doctors, explain the symptoms of bird flu. Head of local hospitals every day present reports on all bird flu suspicions to the ministry. The minister said that more than 100 people, who addressed infection hospital #7 with bird flu symptoms, were not infected with the disease.

Head of medical commission of the Azerbaijan department of Helsinki Civil Assembly Tamila Kerimova, commenting the developments to a REGNUM correspondent, said citizens’ right for information was violated. She said that first case of bird death, caused by bird flu, has been registered in Azerbaijan on February 9. First human casualties appeared on February 28, but were reported only on March 14. Kerimova thinks that current anti-bird flu measures are insufficient, because there is no real output from $4 million sent for bird flu prevention, because prophylactic works are carried out for appearance, as are posters, several programs on AzTV and OTA. Vaccination is not conducted. In several regions, dead birds are simply thrown out, so wild animals eat them.

Death of the four teenagers, according to Kerimova, is a terrible reminder on necessity of serious work in bird flu prevention. She said, that full scale fight against bird flu should be started, or “tomorrow it will be too late.”