As bird blue has been identified in Georgia, Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli, Minister of Labor, Health and Social Affairs [Lado Chipashvili] and the Minister of Agriculture [Mikheil Svimonishvili] visited Adjara today.

On the map of Europe, Georgia, with many other countries, has been identified as a hotbed of a dangerous disease.

So far, virus has been identified only in Adjara and Poti, however, this is not fully confirmed.

As far as I know people's life and health are not exposed to danger.

This virus is spread all over Europe and the main risk is a transmission of this virus from wild birds to the poultry. But if it still happens it is very important to be careful, especially the children.

We should intensify the process of raising public awareness so that people were much more observant.

At the same time hunting must be banned, and it is already banned. We must thoroughly control it and in case anyone still starts hunting, must be panelized.

As for poultry, everyone has to be very careful.

If sanitation norms are observed, there is nothing to be afraid of, in fact.

By now, in every country where virus was transmitted to a man was caused by the fact that elementary sanitation norms had not been observed.

We have already purchased 2000 dose of "Tamiflu". On Monday we will purchase another 2000 dose, which is absolutely enough if any complication occurs.

However, we should use all the effort to ensure that Georgia is among those European countries where there was no fact of transmitting virus to people.

These countries are: Germany, England, Croatia, Romania, Hungary etc. As for Turkey such incidents occurred only because of not observing sanitation norms.

We got very well prepared for this virus. We have bough enough sanitation and disinfection equipments, special uniforms and medicines. The rest depends on people.

We do not have serious grounds for being nervous so far, but we should be careful.

We must be as organized as we have always been.

I am very glad that Levan Varshalomidze [Chairman of the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara] will head a special emergency office in Adjara and the governor of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region Zaza Gorozia - in Samegrelo.

If people are careful and observant we will avoid everything without any complications.

Communications Office
of the President of Georgia