Mellie
Well-known member
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2006/March/middleeast_March526.xml§ion=middleeast&col=
Bahrain deny hospitalising four suspected bird flu patients
(DPA)
21 March 2006
MANAMA - Bahrain health officials denied late Monday that they have admitted patients with suspected bird flu to a local hospital.
Adel Abdullah, head of international public relations at the Ministry of Health, described the reports as rumours, according to the Arabic daily Al Waqt. He confirmed that four people underwent routine checkups.
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In the case of a bird-flu outbreak, the ministry would hold a press conference to alert the public, he told Al Waqt.
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“The routine checkups we carried out on the four were part of the national precautionary emergency plan put in place to deal with any suspected case,” he said.
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Earlier reports suggested that four people from one family suspected of being infected with the deadly bird flu virus had been admitted late Monday to a Manama hospital.
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Sources said that the four had been isolated pending further tests.
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The unconfirmed reports, if verified, would become the first suspected human cases reported in the Gulf.
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Avian flu infections in birds have been reported in countries close to the Gulf including Iraq, Egypt, Turkey and most recently Israel.
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Egypt, Turkey, and Iraq had all reported deaths among humans infected with the deadly H5N1 strain of virus.<O</O
(DPA)
21 March 2006
MANAMA - Bahrain health officials denied late Monday that they have admitted patients with suspected bird flu to a local hospital.
Adel Abdullah, head of international public relations at the Ministry of Health, described the reports as rumours, according to the Arabic daily Al Waqt. He confirmed that four people underwent routine checkups.
<O
</OIn the case of a bird-flu outbreak, the ministry would hold a press conference to alert the public, he told Al Waqt.
<O
</O“The routine checkups we carried out on the four were part of the national precautionary emergency plan put in place to deal with any suspected case,” he said.
<O
</OEarlier reports suggested that four people from one family suspected of being infected with the deadly bird flu virus had been admitted late Monday to a Manama hospital.
<O
</OSources said that the four had been isolated pending further tests.
<O
</OThe unconfirmed reports, if verified, would become the first suspected human cases reported in the Gulf.
<O
</OAvian flu infections in birds have been reported in countries close to the Gulf including Iraq, Egypt, Turkey and most recently Israel.
<O
</OEgypt, Turkey, and Iraq had all reported deaths among humans infected with the deadly H5N1 strain of virus.<O
</O