Bird flu outbreak reported in Uganda

Birdflu has broken out in the central part of Uganda, a senior ministry of agriculture official said on Saturday.

Connie Acayo, the spokesperson of the ministry told Xinhua by telephone that confirmatory test of dead birds on Lutembe beach on the shores of Lake Victoria and in Masaka district showed that the disease had broken out.

"It is a very serious disease and the minister of agriculture will be issuing out a statement on Sunday," she said.

She added that government is going to issue precautionary measures to prevent the disease from spreading further.

Uganda is among the countries in sub-Saharan Africa that face a high risk of a bird flu outbreak because it is crisscrossed by several routes for migratory birds, which are carriers of the virus.

Birdflu or avian influenza is an infectious disease of birds caused by type A strains of the influenza virus, according to World Health Organization.

The infection can cause a wide spectrum of symptoms in birds, ranging from mild illness, which may pass unnoticed, to a rapidly fatal disease that can cause severe epidemics.

According to the global health body, avian influenza viruses do not normally infect humans but there have been instances of certain highly pathogenic strains causing severe respiratory disease in humans.