Health ministry denies report of avian influenza cases in Seychelles |03 December 2005

The director for Community Health, Dr Jude Gedeon, who is also the chairman of the Influenza Preparedness committee, said this at a press conference yesterday following a report entitled “Bird Flu Victimises Kachchis in Seychelles” which appeared in the Gujarati newspaper in India. 

The report, published on November 26, reads, “bird flu has caused worldwide concern, as three people from Kuchcha on the island of Seychelles have fallen victim.”

The report adds that the three Kachchis belong to the Leva Patel community and that five other Kachchi men are also suffering from bird flu in the Seychelles, and receiving thorough medical treatment there.

Stating that the report is absolutely untrue, Dr Gedeon said that “this report is malicious and we have not had any suspected, let alone confirmed cases of avian flu in Seychelles in bird or in human.”

Dr Gedeon said that it was only on Thursday that the ministry first heard about the news through the American consulate here.

In response to that the community health director general has also written a letter to the newspaper to deny the accusation and request a written apology in a prominent place in their newspaper and tell the truth about the situation in Seychelles.

In the letter, Mr Gedeon has also given a clear detail on the avian flu preparedness and response plan initiated by the ministry.