Zimbabwe's Department of Veterinary Services has allayed fears of an Avian Influenza outbreak in the resort town of Victoria Falls following the deaths of wild birds in neighboring Livingstone, Zambia.

Speaking at a Matabeleland North Provincial Committee meeting in Bulawayo on Friday, the head of the department in the province Polex Moyo said fears of the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus outbreak were "just a scare."

There were reports that poultry producers in Victoria Falls, supermarkets and residents had stopped buying chickens following the deaths of the birds in Livingstone.

More than 40 birds were found dead at the end of last month in the Zambian town, a major nesting area for the migratory birds.

"It was just a scare because after some tests it was proven that they (the Livingstone birds) did not have bird flu. So it's nothing to worry about," Moyo said.

He said as a precautionary measure, his department had deployed personnel along Zimbabwe's border with Zambia to monitor the volumes of poultry products moving between the two countries.

Source: Xinhua