The central government has confirmed that the outbreak of bird flu has been reported in six states across the country. Gujarat and Haryana joined Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh on Friday after poultry and migratory bird samples from the states tested positive for Avian influenza.
The Centre has asked the affected states to contain the disease as per the recommended action plan. Unaffected states have been asked to keep a vigil on any unusual mortality among birds so that necessary measures are taken in the fastest possible time.
"So far, the disease has been confirmed from six states. It is learnt that culling operations have been completed in both the affected districts of Kerala. The disinfection process is underway," the government said in a statement.
Culling operations of 1.60 lakh birds in five poultry farms is also underway in Haryana’s Panchkula district, where the flu was detected.
The government has deployed central teams for monitoring the situation and epidemiological investigation in Kerala, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.
The Mayur Vihar Phase 3 area in New Delhi went into a state of panic after the death of 20 crows was reported over a few days. Officials from the animal husbandry unit of the Development Department on Friday collected samples from the area and sent them to a designated laboratory in Punjab's Jalandhar.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had said on Thursday that there is no case of bird flu in Delhi yet and asked officials to keep a close watch on poultry birds coming in from neighbouring states to prevent any infection
Due to the Avian panic the trade of egg and poultry consumption has gone down in a few parts of the country where the outbreak has been reported.
Egg and poultry consumption has gone down in some parts of the country where the outbreak of the virus has been reported. Traders said that although there is no effect on the farm, their sales have diminished over the past few days as preventive measures in several states include a ban on the sale or transport of poultry products.
Kerala announced earlier on Wednesday that sale of poultry; meat and eggs will not be allowed in the affected areas for the next 10 days, after declaring the outbreak as a state-specific disaster.
After official reports confirmed bird flu as the cause of mass death of crows in Mandsaur and Agar Malwa districts and Indore, transport of chicken consignments from southern states was banned in Madhya Pradesh. The Dakshina Kannada district administration also banned the transportation of poultry from Kerala on Friday.
