Ethiopia said Friday all the necessary preparations have been made to prevent the possible outbreak of bird flu in the Horn of Africa country.

Tiruwork Tafesse, senior official with the Ministry of Health, told journalists that the preparation to minimize the risk of the transmission of the diseases to human have already made in case bird flue surfaces in the country.

Tiruwork, who is also a disease surveillance and control expert, said the ministry had requested for a one-million-US-dollar budget from the government and donors for the prevention of avian flu.

She said four-sub committees, comprising both nongovernmental and governmental organizations, health training centers and other partners, have been set up and the committees have already begun their activities.

The committees will be responsible for finding ways of

obtaining fund necessary for the purchase of medicinal drugs and medical equipment required for the prevention of the diseases, Tiruwork said.

They will also be responsible for establishing a bird flu diagnosis laboratory and prepare a directive governing health professionals to be engaged in the fight against the disease, she said.

Priority will also be given to sensitization of the society about disease, strengthening surveillance, training of health personnel that would prevent bird flu, according to the disease control expert.

Last week, the World Health Organization experts warned deadly bird flu would more than likely spread from Asia to Africa in the coming months.

The arrival of migratory birds carrying the deadly H5N1 flu virus is expected between December and next spring in the African Rift Valley states of Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania.

The H5N1 virus can cross the species barrier into humans, leading to viral pneumonia and organ failure.

The biggest fear among health experts is the virus will mutate so that it can spread easily between humans, causing a pandemic that could kill millions.

Source: Xinhua