“No Kisses After Today” bird flu campaign

Adel Ashur founded an organisation named “No Kisses After Today”. He says that “smooching” can pass on several diseases, including avian influenza.

“Despite cynical reactions at the beginning, the Egyptian intellectual layer has started to take this idea seriously, understanding that this habit is unhealthy,” he told Albawaba.

Egyptian medical authorities have reported no cases of bird flu being transmitted person to person in the country. Ashur, however, says that the virus could be in the incubation phase with the person carrying it not exhibiting any of the disease’s symptoms, and fears an epidemic once that latency period is over.

A 4-year-old girl recently tested positive for bird flu, bringing the number of people in Egypt infected with the deadly virus strain since February 2006 to 36.