Qatar steps up fight against bird flu

Doha has become the latest authority to come on board the global fight against bird flu, announcing fresh university research into the disease.

At a recent conference of Qatar University, a lead doctor announced researchers had begun studying avian influenza.

This was to join forces with the international community to help curb the illness, Dr Siham Yusuf AlQaradawi from the university said.

According to the Gulf Times, five emergency teams were on standby for an outbreak of bird flu in Qatar and an estimated 30,000 birds had been checked over the last three years.

However, better facilities were needed to analyse and characterise the virus which is passed to humans from birds.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified the risk of bird to human transmission of avian influenza as 'very serious', recording strain H5N1 among the most deadly.

More than 100 people attended the university health conference, including representatives from global health bodies.

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