Bird flu cases reported from ten States so far: Centre

New Delhi, January 11, 2021

The Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying today said that cases of avian influenza or bird flu had been confirmed in ten States across the country so far.

An official press release said that ICAR-NIHSAD had confirmed the deaths of crows and migratory wild birds in Tonk, Karauli, Bhilwara districts of Rajasthan; and Valsad, Vadodara and Surat districts of Gujarat.

Further, deaths of crows were confirmed in Kotdwar and Dehradun districts of Uttarakhand. In Delhi, crows and ducks, respectively, were reported dead in New Delhi and Sanjay Lake areas.

In Maharashtra, an outbreak of avian influenza has been reported among poultry in Parbhani district and in crows in Mumbai, Thane, Dapoli and Beed districts, the release said.

In Haryana, culling of infected birds is underway for the control and containment of the spread of the disease. A Central team has visited Himachal Pradesh and will reach Panchkula on January 11 for carrying out monitoring the epicentre sites and conducting epidemiological investigation, it said.

"States have been requested to build awareness among the public and avoid the spread of misinformation. States/ UTs have been requested to increase surveillance around water bodies, live bird markets, zoos, poultry farms, etc. along with proper disposal of carcass, and strengthening of bio-security in poultry farms.

"Moreover, maintaining adequate stock of PPE kits and accessories required for culling operations. Secretary DAHD requested State Animal Husbandry departments to ensure effective communication and coordination with Health authorities for close vigilance of the disease status and avoid any chances of jumping of the disease into humans," the release added.

NNN