KATHMANDU, AUG.27, 2013 - The Epidemiology and Disease Control Division stated on Monday that it did not consider it necessary to conduct lab tests on the throat swabs, as the two women had died from pneumonia and not from bird flu.
"Because the hospital made it clear that the deaths were caused by pneumonia, we did not think it was necessary to test the samples," said Kumar Dahal of the Department of Health Services.
"We would have conducted tests to confirm whether they had died of H5N1 virus had they been suspected of having epidemiological link with bird-flu."
According to the standard operating procedures that the DHS has circulated, epidemiological links may be established under two key circumstances: people should come from bird-flu hit area and they have to have contact with poultry products within the past two weeks.
"Any suggestion that they died from bird flu is but a baseless rumour."
"Because the hospital made it clear that the deaths were caused by pneumonia, we did not think it was necessary to test the samples," said Kumar Dahal of the Department of Health Services.
"We would have conducted tests to confirm whether they had died of H5N1 virus had they been suspected of having epidemiological link with bird-flu."
According to the standard operating procedures that the DHS has circulated, epidemiological links may be established under two key circumstances: people should come from bird-flu hit area and they have to have contact with poultry products within the past two weeks.
"Any suggestion that they died from bird flu is but a baseless rumour."
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