# 1458
Rumors of bird flu in Iran have been around for a couple of years but always with denials from the government.
Over the holidays Azerbaijan banned chicken imports from Iran due to persistent rumors of outbreaks in that country. Reports in the Turkish press also indicated a bird flu problem in Iran. The Iranian government at that time denied that any birds had tested positive.
Today, Iran Daily reports that samples taken before New Years are now being sent to Italy for testing.
Samples Sent to Italy for Bird Flu Tests
Head of State Veterinary Organization said samples of wild and domestic birds which perished following suspicious respiratory infections resembling bird flu have been sent to Italy for tests. The action was delayed due to New Year holidays, he added.
Mojtaba Norouzi told ISNA on Friday that the birds perished in the vicinity of Anzali International Wetland in Gilan province and an unnamed wetland in Mazandaran province.
The organization would cull poultries in places where birds with suspicious respiratory diseases have been detected. This is in line with precautionary measures taken by the organization and compensations would be paid to owners.
Meanwhile, he said no poultry have so far tested positive for avian flu and people can eat eggs and hens without anxiety.
Norouzi told ISNA that the advice of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education to exercise caution does not mean that the disease has tested positive across the country.
Iran appears on the list of countries in which bird flu has been reported because of the outbreak of the disease among wild swans in Anzali Wetland. No poultry has been identified with the virus.
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