Although there is no immediate threat from avian influenza in Southern Africa, countries in the region will set up a regional plan on dealing with the contagious disease, officials said here on Thursday.

South African Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang confirmed that a committee had been mandated to establish a plan for 14 member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Although the flu has not broken out in the region, there was concern that wild birds, which are the main carriers of the virus, were migrating to the sub-continent for summer.

After a meeting of the SADC health ministers in Johannesburg, Tshabalala-Msimang said people in the region, especially the elderly, should have flu vaccinations because if they were infected with avian flu, it would be severe.

African countries have been warned of the bird flu given their fragile public health systems have already been heavily burdened by other diseases including HIV/AIDS and malaria, as well as poverty and staff shortage.

Bird flu has aroused extraordinary concerns around the world, especially in Asia and Europe, since more than 60 people have been killed and scientists fear that the virus could be more deadly if it mutates to become transferable between humans.

A South African newspaper reported on Thursday that migrant bird droppings collected at the Durban harbor last month tested negative for avian flu.

So far about 4,300 samples have been collected, including 67 from migratory birds captured in Durban harbor. All the samples examined have been negative, KwaZulu-Natal provincial agricultural ministerial spokesman Vusi Zuma told the witness.

He said the department would continue its surveillance, focusing on indigenous and commercial poultry and in some cases migratory birds.

Source: Xinhua