Ninety-four live poultry birds, 94 dressed chicken pieces, a kilogramme of chicken sausage, 50 trays and 154 cartons of eggs, and 89 pieces of feather and feather dusters were seized by the Bhutan agriculture and food regulatory authority (BAFRA) between January and June 9 this year for contravening the existing ban on poultry and poultry related products. This information was presented to more than 100 senior officials from various ministries and international organizations, who met in Thimphu on June 11 to discuss the prevention of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) into the country. Agriculture minister Lyonpo (Dr) Pema Gyamtsho said that, although the disease had not been detected in the country, Bhutan was vulnerable, going by the disease situation in the immediate neighbouring countries and how they handled outbreaks. Since the outbreak of HPIA in South-East Asia in 2004, BAFRA, public health officials and the national centre for animal health have been on an high alert to prevent its entry into Bhutan. During the meeting, concerned officials said that poultry farms in the country were being regularly monitored. BAFRA's Dr Sithar Dorjee said that they had an early warning system and weekly reporting from dzongkhag staff. Migrating birds like the black-necked cranes, ducks, cranes and other bird species were also being monitored with the help of the royal society of protection of nature (RSPN). According to Dr Sithar Dorjee, BAFRA had spent Nu 10.41 million on the disinfection programme from January to May. Of the known 381 humans affected, as of June 2008, 241 have died even with the best of treatment. The disease has been reported in birds in over 61 countries, 48 countries reporting in domestic poultry and 15 countries saw human cases, the latest being a case in Bangladesh. Bird flu was first spotted in Vietnam and Thailand in 2003. By Gyeltshen