Arab News reports that bird flu has spread to the Saudi capital, Riyadh. Poultry shops are being closed and birds culled. Poultry workers from outlying areas have been checked for flu—none found—and given vaccinations. Saudi medical authorities say they have sufficient vaccines to handle an outbreak, though they hope to avert that through the current actions.

Bird Flu Arrives in the Heart of Riyadh
Mohammed Rasooldeen, Arab News

RIYADH, 20 November 2007 — A poultry market in the Aziziyah district of Riyadh was cordoned off after inspectors identified four cases of bird flu there yesterday during a random inspection.

An emergency team, assigned by the Ministry of Agriculture to control the deadly virus, cordoned the market off. The team comprises officials from the police, the municipality, the ministries of health and agriculture and the National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development (NCWD).

“There are 85 poultry shops in this market and each will have a minimum of 1,000 birds. The team plans to cull the birds and disinfect the whole area to stop the virus from spreading,” said Soliman Al-Buthi, general manager of the Environmental Health Department at the Riyadh Municipality.

He added that municipality is working with the emergency team to tackle the problem. Al-Buthi stressed that the situation is under control and called on members of the public to help the authorities tackle the problem.
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