HEALTH MINISTER SAEED DARWAZEH ASSERTED SUNDAY THAT JORDAN WAS 'STILL FREE' FROM ANY HUMAN BIRD FLU INFECTIONS, ACCORDING TO AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT, DPA REPORTED. 'THE COUNTRY IS STILL FREE FROM ANY HUMAN INFECTIONS WITH THE AVIAN FLU VIRUS,' DARWAZEH WAS QUOTED AS SAYING BY THE OFFICIAL PETRA NEWS AGENCY. 'AN AROUND-THE-CLOCK REPORTING SYSTEM INVOLVING ALL HOSPITALS IN THE KINGDOM IS BEING APPLIED WITH DIAGNOSIS CONDUCTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH SPECIFIC LAB TESTS,' HE ADDED. DARWAZEH SPOKE AS SPECIAL SQUADS ON SUNDAY CULLED 13,500 BIRDS IN TWO FARMS IN THE AJLOUN AREA, ABOUT 40 KILOMETRES NORTH OF AMMAN, WHERE THE FIRST BIRD FLU CASE WAS REPORTED ON FRIDAY. THE MEASURE WAS TAKEN IN ACCORDANCE WITH INSTRUCTIONS BY THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO) WHICH PROVIDED FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF BIRDS WITHIN A THREE-KILOMETRE RADIUS AND VACCINATING BIRDS WITHIN A 5-KILOMETRE RADIUS FROM THE SITE WHERE THE BIRD FLU CASE WAS DISCOVERED.
