The bird flu crisis that has infected 12 Egyptian people and killed three seriously damaged the country's poultry industry and jeopardized livelihood of millions of people working in this sector, the Egyptian Gazette daily reported Thursday.

Some of around 2 million Egyptian families trading in chickens have closed their shops, while others have shifted to other trades as the sector was struck by the fatal virus.

The Egyptian government has announced a plan to compensate people affected by the disease, but it seemed difficult for the government to fulfill its promise for now.

Chicken trader Mohamed Abul Fath was quoted as saying that he closed his shop a month ago after he got promise of compensation from the government, but it has not been paid.

He was told by the Chamber of Commerce that he would get a

compensation of 15,000 Egyptian pounds (2,632 U.S. dollars), however, he would be given three refrigerators instead of cold cash.

Eventually, this was reduced to one refrigerator valued at 2, 800 pounds (491 dollars) from the chamber, said the peddler.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture said that the government will provide the industry with all the support it needs, including paying around five Egyptian pounds, less than one dollar, for every slaughtered bird.

Experts believed the country will overcome the crisis finally, but said that the government needs to do much more.

Egypt, the most populous country in the Arab world, is on a major route for migratory birds, as it locates at the crossroads between Asia and Africa.

The deadly H5N1 strain has killed over 100 people worldwide since its latest outbreak in southeast Asia in late 2003, according to the World Health Organization.

Most victims were infected due to close contact with sick birds.

The virus currently can only jump from birds to human, but scientists fear that it could mutate into a form capable of passing easily among human and thus spark a global pandemic.

Source: Xinhua