India, Pakistan to cooperate in controlling bird flu and polio

India, Pakistan to cooperate in controlling bird flu and polio

The first meeting of a technical-level working group was aimed at strengthening the rival nations' capacity to detect and respond to bird flu and prepare for a possible human flu outbreak, said Navtej Sarna, the External Affairs Ministry spokesman, the AP reports.

Both nations have confirmed cases of bird flu and have culled tens of thousands of chickens in an attempt to stamp out the disease. So far, however, neither country has reported any human cases of the deadly virus.

The sides also exchanged information on drug and pharmaceutical administration and cooperation in the field of traditional systems of medicine, such as homeopathy, Sarna said.