Avian flu: Central team takes stock of situation in Paradip

Paradip: With the government issuing alert over H5N1 avian influenza outbreak in Paradip, a four-member team of Union Health Ministry led by Dr Leena Bandyopadhyay started assessment of the ground zero scenario in flu-hit areas on Tuesday.

The team visited the affected areas in the port town and held discussions on the action taken with the authorities of the local authorities.

Meanwhile, Jagatsinghpur district administration has begun culling of poultry in phase wise manner to control the flu from spreading to other areas.

A ban on the sale of poultry for next three months has been clamped while ten rapid response teams have been deployed to sanitise the area.

Several hotels in the town have also been raided over suspected sale and stock of poultry.

Earlier on Monday, veterinary officials had sent samples of dead crows and chicken and to the Animal Diseases Research Institute (ADRI) in Bhopal for laboratory examination.

While two blood samples of chicken have so far tested positive for H5N1, 314 other samples have been sent to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) in Bhopal for further confirmation.

Over 500 chickens have been culled while 400 eggs and other animal feed has been destroyed in a massive campaign at Badapadia and Sandhakunda slums in the last 24 hours.