Tirana receives flu aid
TIRANA (SeeNews) – Albania’s Farm Ministry said yesterday it has received a $800,000 (672,000 euro) grant from Japan and will soon get $5 million from the World Bank to prevent further outbreaks of the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu virus which has been found in the southwest. The ministry announced on Wednesday that the H5N1 strain, which can be deadly for humans, was detected in a dead chicken found last month in the southwestern village of Cuke, in the region of Sarande. «The Japanese government provided $800,000 to manage the situation [to prevent bird flu outbreaks],» the ministry stated. Farm Minister Jemin Gjana met World Bank’s Country Manager Nadir Mohammed yesterday and asked for the promised funds to be made available as soon as possible, the ministry said. «Nadir Mohammed confirmed that the $5.0 million fund is […] expected to be disbursed in four to six weeks,» the ministry said.
