Union ministry forms 3member committee to monitor flu threat

NEW DELHI: The Centre formed a three-member committee on Saturday to closely monitor the bird flu threat in the Capital even as no fresh deaths were reported from Delhi Zoo.

“A constant vigil is being kept around the national zoological parks to monitor and contain the H5 avian influenza along with the state agencies. The Union ministry of environment and forests has constituted a threemember committee to keep a close watch over the developments,” said Delhi Zoo director, Amitabh Agnihotri.

Both the zoo and the Hauz Khas deer park continue to be shut.

Mediapersons were taken inside the zoo on Saturday afternoon. Masked and suited personnel were fumigating the premises, while lime and potassium were being applied as a precaution.

A huge flock of pelicans were sitting trees close to a water body, near which some of the infected birds were earlier found. The situation is now under control, Agnihotri said.

The zoo has been shut since Tuesday, when nine water birds died on the premises. Three were found to have H5 avian influenza, making it Delhi’s first-ever bird flu outbreak.

Two deaths were reported on October 14, while six others were found dead on October 15. Samples of the carcass were sent to the Jalandhar lab, which detected viral symptoms.

Re-tests at the High Security Animal Diseases Laboratory in Bhopal confirmed H5N1 virus in three birds.

Samples of bird carcasses, blood and saliva are being sent directly to the Bhopal laboratory.

Reports are expected on Monday evening.