Health officials in Egypt sought Wednesday 22 February 2006 to reassure the public that Cairo's drinking water supply is safe, after fears of bird flu (avian influenza) sparked panicked buying of bottled water. State television and radio broadcast repeated reports that night that drinking water in Egypt's capital city was safe, after a rumour that chickens infected with bird flu had been tossed into Cairo's water reservoirs and into the Nile rapidly. The rumour spread quickly across the city late Tuesday, leading to thousands of phone calls and mobile phone text messages. The Health Ministry's switchboard was choked by calls from anxious citizens. Bottles of mineral water disappeared from shop shelves, and there was also heavy buying of soft drinks. The fears came four days after Egypt announced that the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu had been found in chickens and turkeys in Giza, the twin city of Cairo, and in southern provinces.

Web site: WHO - Avian Influenza

Source: AP / The Hindu, 23 Feb 2006

Tags: information and communication, water quality