Tanzania - Zanzibar destroys more eggs to keep bird flu at bay

Authorities in Zanzibar have incinerated another consignment of chicken eggs smuggled from mainland Tanzania, in the hope of keeping their islands free of avian flu. "We seized the egg consignment of about 11 boxes imported from the Tanzanian mainland commercial capital of Dar es Salaam," said Kassim Gharib, the head of a task force formed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Natural Resources and Environment. The task force was establised to ensure that bird flu does not spread to Zanzibar, two semi-autonomous islands that form part of the Republic of Tanzania. The consignment was seized after the importers disappeared, apparently fearing arrest, Gharib said on Tuesday. Gharib said the Zanzibari business community had continued to import poultry products despite a ban on them introduced in 2005. According to the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO), the H5N1 avian influenza virus can be found inside eggs, and on the surface of eggs laid by infected birds. There is, however, no epidemiological evidence to suggest that people have been infected with avian influenza through eating eggs or egg products. Thorough cooking of eggs can inactivate the virus, according to WHO. In August, Zanzibar's authorities incinerated 61,000 chicken eggs in a bid to check the threat of bird flu, but because of high demand during the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holidays this week, and the current high season for tourism in the islands, the price of eggs in Zanzibar has doubled. The deadly H5N1 strain of avian flu has been found in several African countries. The poultry industry in Asia and in a few European countries has been affected by the disease, which has claimed dozens of human lives, mostly in Asia.