News Analysis India

Tag: Bird Flu

  • Government confirms bird flu cases in Rajasthan, Kerala, Himachal and MP

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying on Wednesday confirmed Avian Influenza, commonly known as bird flu, cases have been reported from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Kerala.

    The ministry informed this after the samples from these states were tested positive by Indian Council of Agricultural Research -National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases (ICAR-NIHSAD).

    In an official statement, the ministry said in Rajasthan, bird flu is reported in crows in Baran, Kota and Jhalawar district, while Madhya Pradesh also reported the disease in crows in Mandsaur, Indore and Malwa districts.

    ALSO READ | Chennai Corporation on alert, to observe symptoms of avian influenza

    “In Himachal Pradesh, the bird flu is reported in migratory birds in Kangra, while in Kerala it is reported in poultry-duck in Kottayam and Allapuzha districts,” it said.

    The ministry said an advisory was issued to Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh on January 1, 2021, asking to avoid further spread of the infection.

    “As per the information received from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, control measures are being taken as per the guidelines of the National Action Plan of Avian Influenza. Another advisory has been issued on January 5, 2021, to Himachal Pradesh where the state has been advised to take measures so as to avoid further spread of disease to poultry. As per the report received, Kerala has already initiated control and containment operations from January 5, 2021 at epicenters, and the culling process is in operation,” it further stated.

    The ministry also informed that it has set up a control room in New Delhi to keep watch on the situation and to take stock on a daily basis of preventive and control measures undertaken by state authorities.

    Kerala Minister for Forest, Animal husbandry and Dairy development K Raju on Tuesday confirmed that that about 12,000 ducks had died and around 40,000 birds will be culled in the region where bird flu has been reported.

    The state government had said bird flu is declared as state-specific disaster in Kerala and high alert has been issued after an outbreak of bird flu was confirmed in certain parts of Kottayam and Alappuzha districts.

    ALSO READ | Vigil up as bird flu fells migratory, poultry fowls across Indian states

    “The measures suggested to the affected states to contain the disease and prevent further spread as per the Action Plan on Avian Influenza include strengthening the biosecurity of poultry farms, disinfection of affected areas, proper disposal of dead birds/carcasses, timely collection and submission of samples for confirmation and further surveillance, intensification of surveillance plan as well as the general guidelines for the prevention of disease spread from affected birds to poultry and human,” the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying said.

    On Tuesday, Madhya Pradesh Animal Husbandry Minister Prem Singh Patel also said an alert has been sounded to control the deaths of crows in the state after nearly 400 crows were found dead in 10 districts.

    The Central government has suggested to the states to coordinate with the forest department for reporting any unusual mortality of birds, and asked the other states to keep a vigil on any unusual mortality amongst birds and to report immediately to take necessary measures.

    Bird flu virus H5N1 has killed 2,403 migratory birds so far in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district, the state government said on Tuesday. Due to this, a 10-km alert zone was declared where no sale of eggs allowed and poultry markets closed, said the State Animal Husbandry Department.

    Meanwhile, Rajasthan Animal Husbandry Minister Lalchand Kataria also said it is a matter of concern as it impacted the birds and poultry industry. More than 50 birds were found dead in the Baran district on Tuesday.

    Notably, bird flu viruses have been circulating worldwide for centuries with four known major outbreaks recorded in the last century. India notified the first outbreak of avian influenza in 2006. Infection in humans is not yet reported in India though the disease is zoonotic.

    “There is no direct evidence that AI viruses can be transmitted to humans via the consumption of contaminated poultry products. In India, the disease spreads mainly by migratory birds coming into India during winter months i.e. from September – October to February – March. The secondary spread by human handling (through fomites) cannot be ruled out,” the ministry said.

    In view of a threat of a global outbreak of AI, the DAHD had prepared an action plan in 2005, which was revised in 2006, 2012, 2015 and 2021 for the guidance of state government for prevention, control and containment of Avian Influenza in the country. 

  • Bird Flu: 2,403 birds dead in Himachal Pradesh, number likely to increase

    By ANI
    SHIMLA: With over 2,400 birds dead so far in Himachal Pradesh, the state has been put on high alert for avian influenza and officials are monitoring the situation according to state forest minister Rakesh Pathania.

    “As many as 2,403 birds have died so far. We expect that this number will grow. We are on high alert and monitoring the situation very carefully,” Pathania told ANI.

    Hundreds of winter migratory birds including bar-headed goose along with river tern, brown-headed gull, and cormorants were found dead in and around the Pong Dam Sanctuary area.

    Forest officials first noticed the bird deaths in December end and the range forest officer of Nagrota-Surian in a letter on December 31 reported a total of 141 winter migratory birds were found dead in Pong Dam Lake Sanctuary in Nagrota-Surian wildlife range. The letter also reported that in Jawali Beat area of the range, 29 migratory birds were found dead while in the Bhatoli Phakorian area, 7 Bar Headed Goose were found dead

    ALSO READ | Karnataka Bird festival on despite concerns over virus

    The state’s agriculture minister Virender Kanwar said that poultry samples are being collected from different parts of the state and have been sent for testing for bird flu.

    “119 samples of poultry have been sent to a lab in Jalandhar for the test. We are collecting poultry samples from different parts of the state,” said Kanwar.

    The Kangra District Magistrate issued order, completely prohibiting sale/purchase/export of any poultry/birds/fish of any breed/age and their related products (eggs, meat, chicken etc) in Fatehpur, Dehra, Jawali and Indora areas of Kangra.

    Apart from Himachal Pradesh, four other states have reported avian deaths. Kerala issued a high alert against bird flu on Tuesday after declaring bird-flu as a state-specific disaster after outbreak of the virus was confirmed in certain parts of Kottayam and Alappuzha districts.

    Kerala Minister for Forest, Animal husbandry and Dairy development K Raju had confirmed that that about 12,000 ducks had died and around 40,000 birds will be culled in the region where bird flu has been reported.

    Madhya Pradesh has also sounded an alert after nearly 400 crows were found dead in 10 districts, including Indore.

    ALSO READ | Avian flu: 24,110 birds culled in Alappuzha, Kottayam on Day 1

    Between December 23 and January 3, 142 crows died in Indore, 100 in Mandsaur, 112 in Agar Malwa and 13 crows died in Khargone districts. In Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur, officials said that around 100 crows died in the city between December 23 and January 3.

    Bird flu has been detected in four samples of dead crows sent to the state lab, according to an official at the Animal Husbandry Department, Mandsaur, where he said around 100 crows died between December 23 and January 3.

    Rajasthan has established a state-level control room to monitor the avian influenza situation and the state has also sounded an alert. More than 50 birds were found dead in the Baran district of Rajasthan on Tuesday. The state administration has issued high alert in Kota and Jhalawar districts too. 

  • Vigil up as bird flu fells migratory, poultry fowls across Indian states

    By Express News Service
    The Bhopal-based National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) confirmed bird flu in the crow carcasses sent from Rajasthan’s Jhalawar district, while the Jalandhar-based Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (RDDL) has rushed a team to collect samples from Barwala belt of Haryana, where over four lakh poultry bird deaths have been reported dead in the past one month. 

    Control rooms in Rajasthan After the Jhalawar samples returned positive, all national parks and forests in Rajasthan were put on high alert. Crows have formed a majority of the casualties in the state. At least half a dozen districts have reported bird deaths since the first case was confirmed on December 31, with Kota and Jodhpur accounting for the highest numbers. Chief Wildlife Warden of Rajasthan ML Meena said that vigil at wildlife sanctuaries, national parks, forests, and the wetlands housing migratory birds has been mounted. The thriving poultry industry in the state is under the continuous monitoring. “Carcasses of birds are being disposed of carefully,” he said.  

    A forest department official picking a sick crow off a road near Jal Mahalin Jaipur. A bird flu alert has been sounded in Rajasthan. (Photo | PTI)

    Haryana situationRegional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (RDDL) in-charge Dr Mohinder Pal said they have rushed a team to Barwala to collect samples of the birds after the first set could not return conclusive reports. 

    Tough measures in HP After the RDDL, Palampur Veterinary College, and the NIHSAD told the Himachal Pradesh government that the death of the 2,500-odd migratory birds is attributable to avian flu, authorities declared one-km area from the Pong lake as red zone to contain the spread. Sale of poultry products has been banned in Dehra, Jawali, Fatehpur, and Indora town of Kangra.After the outbreak, Punjab government too sounded an alert in the wetlands of Harike Pattan in Tarn Taran, Keshopur Chhamb in Gurdaspur, Nangal and Rupnagar wetlands.

    Confirmed cases in MPThe NIHSAD confirmed H5N8 strain in the crow carcasses from Indore and Mandsaur. Like Rajasthan, crows formed a majority of the casualties from the state. A dedicated control room has been established in Indore. Safety equipment, including PPE kits, anti-retroviral drugs, and disinfectants are being made available to the frontline workers.

    Double whammy for Indore health officialsIn Indore, where 142 crows were reported dead, at least two samples were found to be infected by the H5N8 virus. The state health department, which is already battling the Covid-19 situation (maximum cases and deaths in MP have been reported from Indore), has begun door-to-door medical check-up of people residing in areas where the crows were found dead. So far 14,000-plus people have been checked by teams

    (Inputs from Rajesh Asnani @ Jaipur, Harpreet Bajwa @ Chandigarh, Anuraag Singh @ Bhopal)

  • Bird flu spreading between corona, eat non-veg but cooked at 70 ° C

    The whole world is fighting the battle of corona epidemic. Meanwhile, the bird flu crisis is looming in India. The disease is caused in birds, due to which it spreads in humans also. This disease, known as bird flu, is caused by the avian influenza virus H-5N-1.

    Bird flu spreads faster than chicken, turkey, peacock, duck etc. It is so dangerous that birds and humans can die from it. So far birds are believed to be the main cause of bird flu. Humans who suffer from avian influenza are also at risk of death. The flu is spread from infected birds to healthy birds through feces or infected feathers. Most people stop eating chicken, eggs etc. as soon as the bird flu arrives. In such a situation, the question arises whether chicken and eggs can be eaten during bird flu or not? So let us tell you that you can eat chicken or eggs in bird flu. But it is important to take care that it is cooked well ie eat non-veg but it should be cooked at 70 ° C.

  • Nearly 400 crows found dead in Madhya Pradesh, 3 districts reported bird flu

    By ANI
    BHOPAL (MADHYA PRADESH): Putting the administration on high alert, nearly 400 crows were found dead in 10 districts of Madhya Pradesh so far, confirming the spread of bird flu in the state.

    The presence of the H5N8 sub-type of the Influenza A virus was reported in dead crows found in Indore, Agar-Malwa and Mandsaur districts since Sunday.

    Director of Madhya Pradesh Animal Husbandry Department Dr RK Rokade told ANI that the bird flu has only spread in crows; chickens are still protected from the virus till now.

    ALSO READ | Kerala to go for massive culling of ducks after avian influenza virus found in dead birds

    Reports of the deaths of crows from Indore, Mandsaur, Agar-Malwa, Khargone, Sehore, Dewas, Ujjain, Neemuch and Guna has come into the light, where nearly 400 crows have been found dead, the official said.

    It is noted that bird flu is airborne and there is no vaccine for it, he added.

    While talking about the source of the outbreak, the Animal Husbandry Department believed that it came from Rajasthan.

    Avian influenza refers to the disease caused by infection with avian (bird) influenza (flu) Type A viruses. These viruses occur naturally among wild aquatic birds worldwide and can infect domestic poultry and other bird and animal species.

    Bird flu outbreak has been confirmed in Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.