The Supreme National Committee to Combat Bird Flu met on Wednesday 2/1/2008 under chairmanship of Minister of Agriculture and participation of Ministers of Health and Local Development and Governors of Giza, El-Qalubia, El-Munifia El-Gharbia, El-Sharqia, El-Fayoum and El-Daqahlia and representatives of Ministries of Defense, Interior, Foreign Affairs, Environment and Information. The meeting discussed all developments of the situation as follows:

First:
The Committee reviewed different discussions and opinions on the development of the disease in light of the cases of infection and death during December 2007, especially as there are no new cases of infection or death since July 2007.

Second:
Reports stated that 2006 witnessed (18 injuries including 10 deaths, equaling 55%) while 2007 witnessed (25 injuries including 9 deaths, equaling 36%). Consequently, the total number of positive cases since the emergence of the disease reached 43 cases; 31 female and 12 males.

Cases were divided according to reason of infection into 2 workers in farms, 40 domestic poultry raising cases and 1 salesperson.

Third:
The Committee discussed reasons behind cases in the protected farms (34 farms) which concentrated in:
1- A group of fierce viruses attacked the farms.
2- Type and efficiency of the vaccine.
3- Way of preserving and keeping the vaccine.

Fourth:
The Committee stressed the necessity of intensifying the media campaigns (direct contacts, Radio &TV).

It also stressed the necessity of active detection between Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Health, monitoring the poultry production, supporting the central and affiliated laboratories.

All farms proven infected with the bird flu will be shut down for six months and all birds and farm wastes would be destroyed (fertilizer – tools used inside the infected farms), the Committee said.

Farm owners that do not abide by the protection measures will bear the responsibility of their negligence while maximizing the penalty in case of recurrence, the committee said.

The committee also said firm measures will be taken against moving poultry from one governorate to another or from one farm to another.

- Minister of Agriculture said that reasons for spreading the bird-flu disease once again are the negligence of concerned parties and farms owners as well as non-abidance by the precautionary measures.

- Minister of Health noted that decrease of deaths among injuries is attributed to increase of awareness by citizens and their going to hospitals for receiving the therapy following the appearance of the disease symptoms. He added that citizens must avoid the purchase of poultry from unknown sources confirming safety and efficiency of vaccines.

- Health Minister said that teamwork from Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Health and veterinary will be formed to follow up poultry in different locations to detect and face suspected cases.

On his part, Ambassador Ayman el-Qaffas, Head of Egypt's State Information Service and the Supreme Committee Spokesman, said that the international situation of bird-flu is worse than the Egyptian one as the number of cases reached 348 and number of death cases reached 216, adding that the big percentage of deaths are in Indonesia (94 cases) and Vietnam (47 cases).

He added that the policy of combating bird-flu in Egypt is characterized by transparency and clearness for the sake of the safety of Egyptian citizens.

He said that Minister of Information decided in coordination with Ministers of Agricultural, Health and Environment to intensify the media campaigns in all media outlets, and also direct contact especially through the media centers affiliated to Egypt's State Information Service spread allover Egypt for the sake of citizens' health and for preserving the poultry resources.

He added that SIS has issued nearly 250.000 bulletins to spread guidance information about facing bird-flu disease and ways of protection to be distributed in all governorates of Egypt as well as half a million bulletins and stationeries which includes notes to be distributed to students thus getting them aware of the bird-flu issue, reasons of infection and ways of protection.