Kenes Ospanov, a top physician at the Health Ministry, said today the country has equipped labs to conduct preliminary tests of any reported human cases of avian influenza within hours.
"In our labs we have diagnostic equipment which allow us to conduct checkups -- 300-350 people per day. We bought them with the help of American companies. If need be -- God protect us -- we are able to clarify the bird-flu situation within three hours," Ospanov said.
An outbreak of the deadly H5N1 strain in July killed hundreds of geese in the north of Kazakhstan.
World Health Organization official Bernardos Ganter told RFE/RL that migrating birds could spread the virus to other Central Asian nations.
Nearly 80 people have died from bird flu in East Asia and Turkey since 2003. Most human cases have been traced to contact with infected birds.
(RFE/RL's Kazakh and Uzbek services, AP)
Affected Areas
Click on the map for a closer view of the areas within RFE/RL's broadcast region where cases of diseased fowl have been confirmed. Last updated on February 20.
BIRD FLU, or avian influenza, continues to menace scattered areas from East Asia, where the disease first appeared, to Southeastern and Eastern Europe and beyond. Authorities around the world are bracing themselves -- and, more importantly, planning and taking measures to fight the disease wherever it appears.
Stories Of Particular Interest:
Bird-Flu Expert Discusses Issue Of Migratory Birds
Bird Flu: As European Worries Grow, Some See Benefits In Alarm
