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TravelAlerts.info - Saudi Arabia
December 18, 2007 On December 15, 2007, 50 miles south of Riyadh there was an outbreak of the bird flu strain H5N1(dangerous to humans). The infection was located on an ostrich farm, which resulted in 13,000 birds being culled. Since November 2007, there have been at least 14 outbreaks in which millions of birds have been culled. There are over 500 poultry farms in Saudi Arabia and there is no indication that an outbreak has spread outside of the Riyadh region. No reports of transmission to humans have surfaced. Sales of Ostrich meat has been banned and the government is taking an aggressive stance with restaurants and stores. The ostrich plays an important role in Saudi Arabian culture and literature. One myth involving the ostrich and his inability not to fly states that an ostrich and a falcon once had placed a bet on which one could fly the best. The falcon stated " In the name of God!" and flew straight to heaven. The ostrich forgot to conjure his blessing from his creator. He was burnt by the sun during his flight and fell to earth and the ostrich never flew again. With the advent of Hajj over 49,000 security personnel have been placed at the holy cities in Saudi Arabia to help maintain safety and security during the annual pilgrimage to Mecca.
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