Further to the statement made by the Ministry of Health regarding the recent bird deaths taking place in Al-Kharj Governorate, and some other governorates, caused by the infection of Bird Flu (also known as: avian influenza), the Ministry, proceeding from its responsibility to preserve the health and safety of the Saudi citizens and residents, is keen to make clear that the laboratory and clinical results of the examinations conducted on all the workers in contact with the infected birds have been negative for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) or (H5N1). Therefore, no human infections have been recorded.
It is worth mentioning that there is a joint national plan, involving all the governmental authorities relevant to the fight against Bird Flu; namely, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs). In this spirit, the Ministry of Health has provided sufficient quantities of the preventive and curative drug (Tamiflu). Also, laboratories have been supplied with the necessary reagents, in addition to training medical teams, distributed throughout the Kingdom's regions and governorates, to aptly handle any case of suspicion of the disease.
The Ministry, in this regard, is keen to make clear that the cornerstone of prevention depends on avoiding the direct contact with birds and their secretions, as well as cooking birds and eggs well, in a relatively high temperature (at least 70° C). The Ministry also calls upon the Saudi citizens and residents not to hunt wild or water birds, and not to touch dead birds, as they are a source of the virus.