Odisha sounds alert over bird flu

Bhubaneswar: With detection of avian influenza in Delhi and Gwalior, Odisha goverment health department has sounded high alert in the state and has asked chief district medical officers (CDMOs) to take precautionary measures.

Health secretary Arti Ahuja in letters to all CDMOs has informed that bird flu H5N8 has been detected at National Zoological Park, New Delhi and Gandhi Zoological Park in Gwalior. It was confirmed by National Institute of High Security Animal Disease Laboratory at Bhopal.

As the virus is carried by migratory birds, Odisha is on high alert as a large number of migratory birds visit the state in the onset of winter.

All the poultry farms and bird sanctuaries have been advised to take all precautionary measures, the health secretary said, adding the district administration have asked owners of all the poultry farms report to the administration if they found any sick or dead chicken.

Ahuja said awareness campaigns would be conducted by the state government and the district administrations have been asked to prepare contigency plan for surveillance, deployment of rapid response teams, screening, case management facility and protection of human health during culling operation.