Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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Bird Flu Surfaces in Niger, Pakistan
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1122224:3919ACA Discovery
confirmed Monday by laboratory in Italy which tested poultry from West
African nation Niger has become the third African country with
confirmed cases of bird flu.

An Italian laboratory testing poultry from the West African nation
Monday confirmed the presence of the deadly H5N1 virus.

Nigeria and Egypt also reported bird flu cases this month.

Pakistani officials say chickens there have tested positive for the
disease, the first cases reported since 2004.  Early testing suggests
a low pathogenic strain of the H5 virus.

Meanwhile, Japanese officials have detained two veterinarians for not
reporting bird flu infections at farms east of Tokyo last year.  More
than two and a half million birds have been culled since Japan
discovered the less-virulent H5N2 virus there.

Health experts fear the virus could mutate and begin infecting humans,
possibly killing millions.

The disease has spread from Asia to some countries in Europe and
Africa, killing some 90 people worldwide since late 2003.


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