Tag: Haryana Bird Flu

  • Government says avian flu confirmed in six states; over 1.6 lakh birds to be culled in Haryana

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: More bird deaths were reported from some parts of the country on Friday amid cases of avian influenza, with the Haryana government planning to cull over 1.60 lakh birds in Panchkula district after samples tested positive for the disease, even as the Centre said that bird flu has been confirmed so far in six states.

    The Centre said bird flu has been confirmed so far in Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Gujarat, and asked these six states to contain the disease as per the action plan.

    Unusual mortality of 16 birds has also been reported at DDA park Hastsal Village in the national capital, and samples have been sent to a testing lab.

    ALSO READ: Punjab issues advisory for surveillance of poultry farms, wetlands amid bird flu scare

    “So far, the disease has been confirmed from six states (Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Gujarat).

    “It is learnt that culling operations have been completed in both the affected districts of Kerala. The disinfection process is underway,” according to an official statement.

    States that are still unaffected by Avian Influenza (AI) have been requested to keep a vigil on any unusual mortality among birds and to report immediately so that necessary measures are taken in the fastest possible time, it added.

    ALSO READ: Bird flu – Over 69,000 birds culled in Kerala’s Alappuzha, Kottayam

    Central teams have been deployed to visit the affected states of Kerala, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh for monitoring and for epidemiological investigation.

    The government said that in Haryana, there has been confirmation of Avian Influenza positive samples from ICAR-NIHSAD in poultry (two poultry farms) of the Panchkula district.

    Positive samples have also been reported in migratory birds in the Junagadh district, Gujarat, and in crows in Sawai Madhopur, Pali, Jaisalmer and Mohar districts of Rajasthan.

    ALSO READ: Bird flu – Madhya Pradesh govt bans chicken trade with some southern states

    Therefore, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying has suggested the affected states to contain the disease as per the Action Plan on Avian Influenza.

    Over 1.60 lakh birds of five poultry farms in Haryana’s Panchkula district are set to be culled as some poultry samples there have tested positive for the avian flu, Agriculture minister J P Dalal said on Friday.

    The employees of these poultry farms too would be examined by the health department, Dalal further said, adding they would also be given anti-viral medicines.

    ALSO READ: Government confirms bird flu cases in Rajasthan, Kerala, Himachal and MP

    Notably, over four lakh poultry birds died at some farms in Haryana’s Panchkula district over the past several days.

    Fresh cases of birds death were reported in parts of Rajasthan, taking the tally to 2,166.

    The avian influenza subtype H5N8 has been detected in 11 districts of the state, including state capital.

    As per Animal Husbandry Department, 329 deaths of birds, including 223 crows, 11 peacocks, 55 pigeons and 40 others were reported in the state today.

    Around 50 birds, mostly crows, have died in the national capital over the last three to four days amid a bird flu scare, officials said.

    “We received information about the death of crows in Dwarka and Mayur Vihar Phase 3 and of a few wild birds in Hastsal in West Delhi. However, it is yet to be ascertained if bird flu infection is the reason,” Dr. Rakesh Singh from the animal husbandry unit of the Development Department said.

    Around 50 birds have died in these areas over the last three to four days, he said.

    Amid a bird flue scare, shops selling poultry meat in the national capital have recorded have recorded 20-25 per cent dip in sales of chicken over the last few weeks.

    Four crows were found dead in Chhattisgarh’s Balod district, officials said.

    Samples of three of them were sent for laboratory testing to ascertain the cause of death, they said.

    The district administration has alerted people associated with backyard and commercial poultry to report immediately to the nearest veterinary centre if they witness unexplained death in birds, the officials said.

    The death of four crows was reported from Pondi village, located around 13 km away from Balod town, in the last two days, Collector Janmejay Mahobe said.

    The cause of their deaths was not immediately known and their samples have been sent to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal, for testing to check if they died due to bird flu, he said.

    Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said the state government is fully alert to deal with bird flu and there is monitoring of the areas around Pog Dam where over 3,400 birds have died so far.

    He chaired a review meeting for bird flu preparedness and said that the district administration, animal husbandry and wildlife departments should work to prevent the spread its spread.

    “So far, 3,410 migratory birds have died due to bird flu in Pong Dam area of Kangra district and these birds are being buried with full protocol so that there is no risk of infection at any stage,” he said.

    The chief minister said 65 teams of the Animal Husbandry Department and the Wildlife Department are monitoring the areas around Pong Dam.

    Gujarat recorded its first confirmed cases of bird flu infection after samples of two dead birds from Junagadh district tested positive, an official said.

    The two birds, lapwings, had been rescued on January 3 from an area near Kharo Dam in Manavadar tehsil of the district, but they later died due to illness, said Dr D D Panera, Deputy Director, Animal Husbandry division, Junagadh.

    The Punjab government banned import of poultry birds from other states with immediate effect till January 15.

  • Bird flu outbreak in four states; Haryana on high alert: Animal Husbandry Secretary Atul Chaturvedi

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Avian influenza or bird flu outbreak has been reported at 12 epicentres in four states — Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh, while Haryana is on high alert due to unusual mortality at poultry farms in Panchkula, a top official said on Wednesday.

    Speaking to PTI, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Secretary Atul Chaturvedi said there is no need to panic and efforts are on to contain the spread of the infection.

    So far, the disease has been found in migratory birds, crows and ducks, he said, adding that poultry chicken has not been affected.

    “As of now, confirmed reports are from four states — Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Kerala.

    ALSO READ: Bird flu – Madhya Pradesh govt bans chicken trade with some southern states

    “As regards Haryana is concerned, there has been unusual mortality in poultry farms in Panchkula. We have asked the state government to be vigilant and send the samples for testing and confirmation. That report is awaited, ” he said.

    As of now, the spread of bird flu is in four states, while Haryana is on “high alert”, he added.

    The secretary said advisories have been issued to state governments to contain further spread of the infection in poultry ducks, crows and migratory birds.

    The current bird flu outbreak comes barely a few months after India on September 30, 2020 declared the country free from the disease.

    ALSO READ: Bird flu – Over 69,000 birds culled in Kerala’s Alappuzha, Kottayam

    India notified the first outbreak of avian influenza in 2006.

    Earlier, the ministry said other states have been asked to keep a vigil on any unusual mortality among birds.

    “After confirmation of positive samples from ICAR-NIHSAD (National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases), Avian Influenza has been reported at 12 epicentres,” the ministry said in a statement.

    Of the 12 epicentres, the bird flu has been reported in crows in Baran, Kota and Jhalawar regions of Rajasthan as well as Mandsaur, Indore and Malwa areas of Madhya Pradesh.

    ALSO READ: Punjab issues advisory for surveillance of poultry farms, wetlands amid bird flu scare

    Whereas in Himachal Pradesh, the infection has been found in migratory birds in Kangra region and in poultry ducks in Kottayam, Alappuzha (four epicentres) in Kerala, it added.

    On the current status of bird flu, the ministry said containment operations were conducted in villages of Thalavady South, Thakazhi, Pallipad, Karuvatta in Alappuzha district and village of Neendoor in Kottayam district of Kerala.

    “As per the report received, a total of five Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) have been deployed in above-said 4 epicentres of district of Alappuzha and eight RRTs at epicentre Neendoor in district of Kottayam for culling,” the ministry said.

    A total of 17,326 birds (9,066 in Pallipad, 8,260 in Karuvatta) have been culled and a total of 1,570 kg feed has been destroyed in epicentres of Alappuzha district.

    ALSO READ: Government confirms bird flu cases in Rajasthan, Kerala, Himachal and MP

    At an epicentre in Kottayam district, 4,229 birds have been culled and a total of 8 kg feed and 42 eggs were destroyed on Wednesday, the statement said.

    Further, the ministry said that some samples of crow from Kale Hanumanji Forest Nakka, Jaipur, Rajasthan have been found positive for bird flu.

    “Unusual moralities have been found in 7111 domestic birds in Haryana, 150 wild birds in Madhya Pradesh, 10 crows in Gujarat, 336 migratory birds in Himachal Pradesh today,” it added.

    As per the report from Haryana, a total of 4,30,267 birds have died in Barwala, Panchkula in past 25 days and the samples have been sent to the designated laboratory for testing.

    ALSO READ: Karnataka government sounds ‘high alert’ over bird flu

    The results are still awaited.

    The state has constituted 59 RRTs to control and contain the disease, the statement said.

    Meanwhile, the ministry has already set up a ‘control room’ in New Delhi to keep a watch on the situation and take stock on a daily basis regarding the preventive and control measures undertaken by the state authorities.

    The ministry said the disease spreads mainly by migratory birds coming into India during winter months from September-October to February-March.

    The secondary spread by human handling (through fomites) cannot be ruled out.

    “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,” it noted.

    As per the action plan on avian influenza (AI), the ministry has asked the affected states for 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.

    It has also recommended intensification of surveillance plan as well as the general guidelines for prevention of disease spread from affected birds to poultry and humans.

    The ministry has also asked the states to coordinate with the forest department for reporting any unusual mortality of birds.

  • Bird flu: States on alert; Haryana reports over 4 lakh poultry deaths in 10 days, Kerala culls chickens, ducks

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Several states on Tuesday sounded an alert to contain the H5N8 strain of bird flu and sent samples for testing while Kerala began culling of chickens and ducks.

    Karnataka and Tamil Nadu stepped up surveillance and formed guidelines following the outbreak of the viral infection in neighbouring Kerala, where around 1,700 ducks have died due to the flu.

    In Haryana, over four lakh poultry birds have died at farms in Panchkula district in the past 10 days, officials said, adding a team from Jalandhar’s Regional Disease Diagnosis Laboratory has collected samples.

    There are no confirmed reports of avian influenza till now, a RDDL spokesperson said.

    In Madhya Pradesh, officials said that 155 dead crows in Indore have been found with the H5N8 strain since the pathogen was first detected in the city a week back, while in Rajasthan, after Jhalwar, birds in Kota and Baran were found with the infection.

    However, no cases have been reported yet in Maharashtra, which shares borders with Madhya Pradesh.

    Officials in Himachal Pradesh surveyed the area around the Pong Dam Lake sanctuary in Kangra district to check the spread of the flu to domestic poultry birds, a day after samples of dead migratory birds there tested positive for H5N8.

    Till now, 2,700 migratory birds, mostly bar-headed geese, have been found dead in the lake area and samples have been sent for testing, state animal husbandry officials said.

    The operation to cull birds in and around a one-km radius of the affected areas in Alappuzha and Kottayam in Kerala was launched a day after results of samples tested at the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal confirmed the outbreak of the bird flu in the two districts.

    Rapid response teams, set up by the administration, began culling ducks, hens and other domestic birds as per guidelines, officials said.

    Culling of birds in four panchayats of Nedumudi, Thakazhy, Pallippad and Karuvatta in Kuttanad region, where the outbreak has been reported, is expected to be completed by Wednesday evening, Alappuzha district authorities said.

    In Karuvatta panchayat alone, around 12,000 birds will be culled, an official said.

    In the affected areas of Neendoor panchayat in Kottayam district, the rapid response teams have culled some 3,000 birds so far, authorities said.

    On a farm in Neendoor, around 1,700 ducks had died due to the viral infection.

    Officials have said around 40,000 domestic birds, including 34,000 in the Kuttanad region alone, will be culled to check the spread of the H5N8 virus.

    Though the situation has been brought under control, authorities have sounded a high alert in the districts, considering the potential of the virus to infect humans.

    The Alappuzha district collector has banned the use and trade of meat, eggs and waste of domestic birds, including ducks and chicken, in Kuttanad and Karthikappalli Taluks, officials said.

    In Indore, the presence of bird flu was first detected on December 29, when about 50 crows were found dead on the Daly College campus of the Residency area, and tests run on two of the carcasses confirmed the presence of the pathogen.

    Madhya Pradesh veterinary department deputy director Pramod Sharma said 155 crows were detected with the H5N8 virus in the Residency area in the last eight days.

    The deadly avian influenza has not been found in any other bird species apart from crows in Indore so far, he said.

    “Samples from 120 live hens and roosters from the area and 30 migratory birds from Sirpur Lake have been sent to a laboratory in Bhopal to check for bird flu. The reports are awaited,” Sharma said.

    Survey is being carried out in the Residency area to check people with symptoms like cold, cough and fever, a state health department official said but added that no case of the H5N8 infection has been found in humans.

    Jammu and Kashmir sounded an alert and started collecting samples to check the health of winged guests flocking to the Union territory during winters, officials said as neighbouring Himachal Pradesh reported cases of bird flu.

    Joint teams of the animal husbandry and wildlife departments on Tuesday visited the Gharana wetland in the outskirts of Jammu and collected 25 bird droppings for testing to ascertain whether any of the birds are infected with avian influenza, officials said.

    Following the bird flu outbreak in neighbouring Kerala, Tamil Nadu stepped up surveillance on inter-state borders and announced a contingency plan for the management of possible human cases.

    “The avian influenza spreads rapidly, there could be a likelihood of humans getting affected. So, as a precaution, the directorate general of health services has evolved a contingency plan for the management of human cases,” Tamil Nadu health secretary J Radhakrishnan said.

    Karnataka health minister K Sudhakar directed officers in border districts to remain vigilant in the view of avian flu outbreak in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

    He said guidelines will be issued to all districts for necessary action.

    In Himachal Pradesh, teams have started collecting samples of poultry from an area of 10-km radius from the periphery of the Pong Dam Lake, animal husbandry deputy director Munish Batta said.

    “Our priority is to ensure that the infection does not spread from migratory birds to domestic poultry,” he added.

    There has so far been no report of any unusual sickness or death among poultry birds, Batta said.

    Officials in Rajasthan said samples sent from Kota and Baran have been found positive with H5N8.

    State animal husbandry minister Lal Chand Kataria said avian influenza has been found only in Jhalawar, Kota and Baran.

    Till Tuesday, 625 birds have died in 16 districts.

    Also, 86 samples have been sent for testing, officials said.