Bird flu scare sparks Nepal travel warning

The Kingdom has issued an advisory to all its citizens against traveling to Katmandu.
The advisory comes in the wake of the emergency warning imposed in some parts of Nepal due to the spread of “avian,” or bird, flu.
The travel advisory from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that all Saudi nationals should refrain from traveling to Nepal because of the outbreak of bird flu in some parts of the country.
The ministry also called on all Saudi nationals in Nepal to leave Katmandu as soon as possible.
Nepal Ambassador Udaya Raj Pandey told Arab News that the avian bird flu in his country had been brought under control and that there was no emergency situation at present.
A large number of Nepalese expatriates commute between the two countries for vacation and after termination of contracts.
Expatriates are concerned that such a travel advisory would eventually be imposed on them.
Reports said an avian flu emergency had been declared in parts of Nepal’s capital after fresh cases emerged in different areas of the Katmandu valley.
The Animal Health Directorate said the decision meant that trading of birds was completely banned and culling was ordered in areas that were declared emergency zones.
Around 50 cases of the H5N1 flu have been reported in the capital during the past few months in more than 200 poultry farms.
The culling of birds has meanwhile been accelerated in different parts of the country.
The first case of the avian flu in Nepal was reported in January 2009.
No human deaths due to the virus have been reported in the country so far.
According to the World Health Organization, the virus has caused more than 370 human deaths.