Amid bird flu scare, Centre asks states to form monitoring panels
A large number of deaths have been reported from Himachal, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh
NEW DELHI: The Union environment ministry has written to state chief secretaries and chief wildlife wardens asking them to constitute monitoring committees for avian influenza as an action plan was being prepared for monitoring migratory birds across the country.
A large number of deaths, including that of migratory birds, have been reported from states like Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. “Samples have been tested at the Icar-national Institute of High-security Animal Diseases, Bhopal, and have been found to be positive for H5NL Avian Influenza Virus,” the letter said.
It added considering the serious situation and the possibility of spread of the disease to humans and other domesticated animals, the states and Union territories are requested to take all steps for containing its spread. “...take up surveillance and monitoring of birds, for any signs of disease, and take appropriate measures for controlling it, on priority.”
Humans can be infected with avian influenza, or bird flu, primarily through direct contact and may cause disease ranging from mild fever and cough, early sputum production and rapid progression to severe pneumonia, sepsis with shock, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and even death, according to the World Health Organisation.
The Centre has advised the states to collect samples of migratory, dead birds with utmost caution and under scientific supervision. The surveillance should not be restricted to the protected areas alone and should be extended to all wetlands and habitats that host migratory birds and areas with any possibility of interaction of migratory and poultry birds, the advisory said. “All deaths of migratory birds—their number and cause are to be reported to the environment ministry immediately,” the letter said.
“Intensive surveillance should be undertaken to look for any unreasonable bird behaviour, or death among wild birds as well as migratory birds. Vigilance should be stepped up in the zoos also.” The states have been asked to send weekly reports to the ministry with details from important bird sites, number and species of birds that arrived, approximate period of arrival and stay, any changes in migratory pattern vis a vis number, arrival sites, etc as compared to previous years.
Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh has decided not to allow entry of chicken consignments from
Kerala and other southern states for next 10 days in view of the bird flu scare in the state.
Talking to reporters in Indore on Wednesday, chief minister Shivraj Chouhan said his government was issuing directives to ban the transportation of chicken consignments from these states to the border districts of Madhya Pradesh.
“Bird flu symptoms were found in chickens in Kerala and other southern states. Therefore, we have decided that no chicken from these states will be allowed to enter Madhya Pradesh for the next 10 days,” Chouhan said, without specifying any other state.
Earlier in the day, the chief minister reviewed the bird flu situation with officials in Bhopal, after mass death of crows was reported from some districts of the state, including Indore, Agar Malwa and Mandsaur.
Later, in Indore he said, “I have reviewed the bird flu situation in the state today. There is no cause of worry. We are keeping a constant watch on the situation.”
Chouhan said he has directed all district collectors in the state to talk to poultry farm owners for deciding guidelines for the prevention of bird flu. “The poultry farms will now run as per these guidelines,” he said.
Authorities in Punjab have alerted officials to keep tabs on any unusual deaths of migratory and poultry birds in the state, officials said on Wednesday. They said no case of bird flu has been reported so far in Punjab.
Punjab Animal Husbandry Director Harbinder Singh Kahlon said an advisory has been issued for “surveillance of commercial poultry farms and backyard poultry farms to find any unusual mortality in birds”.
The advisory has been sent to all 22 deputy directors of the department to ensure regular visit of field staff to commercial and backyard poultry farms in the state, he added.
Four lakh poultry birds have died at 20 farms in Haryana’s Panchkula district in the past several days. According to the officials, the mortality rate in poultry birds was unusually high this winter. However, there was no confirmed report of avian influenza as of now.