By Express News Service
BHOPAL/DEHRADUN: Bird flu, which was felling crows in Madhya Pradesh, has spread to poultry fowls, with samples from chicken shops in Indore and Neemuch testing positive.
The spread has been reported among the shikra in Khargone, and bagula (heron) birds in Khandwa districts.
According to Director Animal Husbandry, Madhya Pradesh, R K Rokde, bird flu outbreak has been detected among dead crows and other birds in eight districts, including Indore, Agar-Malwa, Neemuch, Mandsaur, Khargone, Dewas, Guna, and Khandwa.
“We have ordered the closure of all poultry and chicken stalls for a week in one-km radius of shops from where samples were found positive. Surveillance of poultry shops and farms within 10-km radius of the poultry-chicken shops concerned has been started,” Rokde told TNIE.
“We are now trying to ascertain the source of chicken at the stalls in Indore and Neemuch. If the chickens were locally supplied, then samples will be from a broader region. If the source is from outside the state, we will alert the governments concerned,” he said.
Meanwhile, Uttarakhand banned the import of poultry products from all states affected by bird flu. Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat reiterated the need to be cautious and temporarily halted any transaction in poultry products.
The order follows the advisory to mount vigil in the wake of bird flu cases in neighbouring states.
There are around 14,500 poultry centres across 13 districts in the state. Officials are keeping a tight watch on migratory from Russia, Iran, and other Asian countries.
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