03
July 2012 0651 hrs
MEXICO CITY: The Mexican government declared
a national animal health emergency on Monday in the face of an aggressive bird
flu epidemic that has infected nearly 1.7 million poultry.
More
than half the infected birds have died or been culled, the agriculture ministry
said of an epidemic that was confirmed on Friday by the UN's Food and
Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
"We have activated a national animal
health emergency... with the goal of diagnosing, preventing, controlling and
eradicating the Type A, sub-type H7N3 bird flu virus," the min..
..H7N3, has occasionally caused human disease in various parts of
the world, according to the UN, but has not shown itself to be easily
transmittable between humans. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_world/view/1211303/1/.html