Azerbaijan, Baku, 18 February / Trend corr. S.Babayeva / The second monitoring of bird flu was launched in Azerbaijan on 18 February, Yolchu Khanvali, press-secretary at the State Veterinary Service at the Agricultural Ministry of Azerbaijan, stated.
Monitoring is being carried out by a special commission including employees of the Veterinary Service, the Health Ministry, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources and the Hunters' Association.
Monitoring covers national parks in the Absheron Peninsula, including the coast line of the Caspian Sea, Davachi, Salyan, Agjabadi and Lankaran regions
The results of the monitoring will be publicized on 29 February.
The first bird flu preventative monitoring of 2008 found the virus. Laboratory analyses were made from blood samples of 1,993 animals.
In 2007, the State Service held 12 monitoring exercises, and over 8,000 samples of wild birds and poultry were analyzed. Bird flu was not found in any of them.
The ban on hunting, use and sale of wild birds in Azerbaijan which was imposed in autumn 2005 is still in force. All border check-points in the country are on medium security in order to prevent the spread of bird flu in the country.
According to the World Organization for Animal Health, in 2003-2007 the bird flu virus was found in poultry farms of 61 countries. According to the World Health Organization, in that period 213 human deaths were registered.