HYDERABAD (February 23 2004): Pakistan Poultry Association (PPA) has asked the citizen to consume chicken without any fear as it causes no harm to human health. The Association denied presence of bird flu in locally available poultry.

Talking to APP here on Thursday Mohammad Farooque Qureshi of PPA Sindh Zone said no case of bird flu has so far been detected in Sindh, so that there should not be any fear while eating chicken. Referring to reports in circulation he termed them as propaganda to destroy the poultry industry of the country which serves the
livelihood of about 0.2 million people in Sindh alone.

He said not only people related to poultry business are suffering losses but the government also is facing a heavy loss of foreign exchange due to what he called as propaganda of bird flu.

He maintained that cases of bird flu detected in some countries of Asia should not be linked with the poultry of Pakistan for which he called upon the media to play its role sensibly. He said the government has also confirmed after many laboratory tests that there is no bird flu in the country.

PPA official said they were liable to legal action if a chicken purchased from poultry farms was proved to be infected by the virus.

PPA NEWS