KAMPALA, Feb. 23 (Xinhuanet) -- The Ugandan government is looking for 15 million U.S. dollars for a prevention and control program of bird flu, state-owned newspaper The New Vision reported on Thursday.

    "Initially, we need about 15 million U.S. dollars for the plan the government has drawn to prevent or control outbreak of the disease, which has killed chicken and other birds in other countries," said C.S. Rutebarika, assistant commissioner for disease control in the agriculture ministry to members of the Poultry Association of Uganda in Kampala.

    Rutebarika said the government had set up a bird flu team that comprises finance, agriculture and health ministries, non-governmental organizations, Uganda Wildlife Authority and Uganda Wildlife Education Center.

    Other members of the team are from the Food and Agricultural Organization, World Health Organization and research institutions.

     "The team is supposed to collect and compile data, map migratory routes for the birds and strengthen disease surveillance," he said.

    "We have followed the birds and collected 300 samples of blood and excreta, which we shall take to any of the designated laboratories in England, South Africa, Germany and Italy for testing to find out whether they have bird flu," Rutebarika said.

    He added that Uganda, located in the western Rift Valley, hosts many migratory birds during migration periods. Enditem