Azerbaijan, Baku /corr. Trend I.Khalilova / On 16 August, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) invited the Agriculture Ministry of Azerbaijan to participate in a regional seminar on 'bird flu', which will take place on 17 September in Peking. The seminar will be organized within ADB's Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) program in cooperation with China's Agriculture Ministry.
In March 2006, the ADB approved $38mln in technical assistance for Asian and Pacific rim countries for the prevention of 'bird flu'. Each of these countries may receive nearly $500,000. Azerbaijan is the first country in the Caucasus and Central Asia for whom ADB allocated credit for the 'bird flu'.
The eighth 'bird flu' testing in 2007, done by the State Veterinary Service of the Azerbaijan Agriculture Ministry, detected no H5N1 viruses from the blood and other samples taken from wild and domestic birds. The examinations covered the Apsheron peninsula, regions of Davachi, Salyan, Agjebedy, and Lankaran. Testing will begin again in autumn.
Since 2006, more than eight studies and tests have been conducted in Azerbaijan, and no signs of 'bird flu' have been discovered.