Bird Flu Center

A national multisectoral task-force has been set up in Botswana to prevent a violent bird flu epidemic from ravishing the country. Dr Micu Chimbombi, a member of the group, says the group holds regular meetings to obtain up to date information on the issue. The task force consists of government health and agriculture departments. A technical team is in charge of a general surveillance, looking at issues like the policy direction government can take. Officials say the country will be ready to handle any possible outbreak of avian influenza, just as they have recently placed an importation ban against all poultry eggs and other unprocessed products from neighbouring South Africa. The same official states the government is on full alert and the situation is held under control. However in the vicinity of the country only the H5N2 strain of the virus was discovered, one believed to be less lethal than the feared H5N1 variant.