On February 13 upon the initiative of the NA Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Health Care parliamentary hearings were held in the National Assembly on the theme “On Bird Flu Prevention Measures in the Republic of Armenia.” The parliamentary hearings attended representatives of RA Ministry of Agriculture, Healthcare and Territorial Administration, NA deputies, poultry plant enterprises, representatives of Consumers’ association and international organizations.

Gagik Mkheyan, Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Health Care noted in his opening speech that the world focuses on problem of the bird flu epidemics today because of the cases of people’sbird flu morbidity. It was noted that taking into account the epidemic situation in the neigbouring country and the necessity of the preparatory works made in preventing the entering of the bird flu into the Republic of Armenia: the NA Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Health Care organized parliamentary hearings to discuss the situation and the measures taken against bird flu.

Levon Rukhkyan, RA Deputy Minister of Agriculture touched upon the bird flu prevention measures in the republic. He mentioned that, according to the Minister’s decree, the import of the birds and poultry products from dangerous countries in the aspect of infection has been stopped. He informed that from January 3, 2006 the import of birds and poultry products from all countries is stopped, and from Turkey also the import of the food products and goods, for the production of which they use products or raw material from birds. Mr. Rukhkyan said that, according to the decree of October 31, 2005 of the Minister of Agriculture, an interdepartmental operative headquarters was established, where specialists of the ministries of Agriculture, Healthcare and Environment and other inter-departments were involved. As he said, in the border check points the veterinary sanitary control is intensified: the veterinary service disinfects the transport means coming to the Republic of Armenia. He noted that the veterinary state inspectorate bodies carry out control over the infection in the poultry farms and pond piscicultures of the republic, and the fowling is banned. In order to make aware the public and warn of the infection the Ministry of Agriculture initiated to print a large number of booklets and posters on bird flu. In the booklets it is described what should be done if the infection penetrates into the country. A programme of combating the highly pathogenic avian influenza was submitted to the approval of the Government.

As Grisha Baghiyan, Head of the Agency For Animal Husbandry, Vetrinary Services and Livestock Numbering, Stock-Taking and Registration of RA Ministry of Agriculture said, the bird flu disease is touching contagious, and with highly contagious virus. This disease has a number of specific clinic signs: the significance of the virus is that in natural conditions and in organisms it gets changed, which makes complicated the combating against the virus. Mr. Baghiyan noted that today no case of bird flu is registered in the Republic of Armenia. He informed that in December-January the veterinary service organized vaccination of all domestic animals against false plague disease. In the whole territory of the republic there is control over birds’ corpses, which are moved to the republican laboratory and diagnosed: 230 cases of bird corpses have been discovered, the reason of which mainly have been the poisonings, mechanical blows, etc. The import of the birds and poultry products to Armenia from the countries, where bird flu is registered, is banned. All poultry farms are closed, i.e. there is no contact with the animal world and outer world.

Artavazd Vanyan, head of the National Hygiene and Anti-Epidemiological Surveillance Inspectorate of the RA Ministry of Healthcare, presented the bird flu prevention measures in the sphere of health care. He noted that the Ministry of Healthcare developed a preparatory programme of measures against possible pandemics of the relevant influenza. Mr. Vanyan noted that the National Institute of the Ministry of Healthcare elaborated the manual “Epidemiology” on bird flu, where the disease is presented in detail. As Mr. Vanyan said, the vaccinations of the seasonal influenza have been carried out including all risk groups: employees of the poultry plants, frontier guards of the customs service and rural settlements bordering Turkey. He noted that 62.800 doses have been already vaccinated. According to the decree of the Healthcare Minister, in all frontier checkpoints a round-clock shifting is carried out, all transport means are disinfected. There is also control in “Zvartnots” airport, and the passengers of Istanbul-Yerevan flight are given questionnaires, which gives opportunity to control. He informed that till now 3 cases of seasonal influenza with clinical signs have been registered.

In the view of Marat Janvelyan, Director of Arzni poultry farm, the information on the bird flu danger are exaggerated. The ill birds die and there is no danger in the aspect of egg producing. He called on not to avoid the poultry local production and eggs, noting that after boiling in 60 degrees the virus loses its danger.

At the end of the hearings Gagik Mkheyan, Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Health Care, expressing his thanks those present for active participation, ensured that only due to joint work it is possible to anticipate the threatening virus.