Kendrapara: The state government Thursday sounded ‘Bird Flu’ alert following detection of avian influenza virus in four villages under Krushnaprasad block of Puri district.
Soon after, Fisheries and Animal Resources Development department has all set for culling operation inside private poultry farms in the affected villages from tomorrow .The outbreak of avian flu (H5N1) in Puri has triggered a sound of alarm here in Kendrapara district’s Bhitarkanika National Park and coastal pockets of the district, said Prakavar Sahu, the ADVO (Disease Control) of Kendrapara.
It is obvious to sound alert to the poultry farm as the mid winter waterfall avian guests have thronged to the world famous wetland, Bhitarkanika National Park, from other countries to save themselves from harsh winter.
The avian species like Bar Headed Goose, Brahmin ducks, which are wild are more vulnerable to carry the Flu virus as they come from Northern Hemisphere Siberia, Middle East Asian and on the way these species cross China, Ladakh, Mansorabar Lake and Tibet to arrive in Bhitarkanika. So species like Bar Headed Goose and Brahmin Ducks, said to be the carrier, have been coming in large numbers to Bhitrakarinaka National Park.
The Bhitarkanika National Park and the District animal husbandry officials sounded an alert to the inhabitants of nearby Bhitarkanika National park to take precautionary measures from possible outbreak of Bird Flu by creating awareness among the gullible.
“We have asked to the inhabitants that if any indifferent behaviour found in any migratory birds or with their poultry then they should immediately bring the matter to the notice of the animal husbandry units officials. The ducks and chickens are more vulnerable to bring the virus to the human settlement “, the ADVO of Kendrapara, Sahu said.
The Bhitarkanika National Park authority asked the locals, forest protection if the migratory birds, including chicken and ducks are found dead then they will not bring the dead species with them. Rather they should bury the dead birds by giving information to forest department.
Even, it has been asked to the poultry farm, located at the fringes of Bhitarkanika National Park to separate the species from the flock if they found sick birds as others might have not got infected. The spread of the virus from wild winter migratory birds and later the virus comes to domestic poultry hatcheries and in turn to human settlement in the nearby areas of the national park, said Amaresh Nath Pradhan, the ACF –cum-Range in charge of Rajnagar Forest Range.
The District Veterinary and Animal Husbandry department has constituted rapid response team in each blocks, consisting of livestock inspectors, village ‘gomitras’ and veterinary officers in the district and direction has been made to monitor the situation and also to look out for sick chickens, said ADVO, Sahu.
The symptoms of flu are the birds lack its ability and strength to fly, bowed neck when infected with the virus and feel dullness in its eyes. There are some bird species which one can detect the virus of bird flu but without being clinically affected. As a result the animal husbandry unit officials have started keeping a close eye on the poultry farms in around of Bhitarkanika National Park.
Though, so far none of the poultry farms, winter migratory birds, crows or duck population have reportedly been infected with Bird flu virus i.e. H5N1 at the district, but in a precautionary measure, the animal husbandry unit of Kendrapara have sounded an alarm.
Even, the veterinary officials have collected about 100 samples, including 20 numbers of faecal dropping of Migratory birds, swabs and about 30 numbers of blood sample from the poultry in last two days at the fringes of Bhitarkanika National Park, mostly in Rajnagar block.
While 56 numbers of samples, including the faecal dropping of migratory birds, were collected in Satabhaya area Wednesday whereas about 50 numbers of swab and blood samples were collected today.
“We have sent the samples to Animal Disease Research Institute (ADRI), Bhubaneswar. Later, the officials of ADRI would send the samples to High Security Animal Disease Laboratory (HSADL) in Bhopal, said the ADVO (Disease control) of Kendrapara, Sahu.
There is no need for the locals to be panic for avian flu in the district as avian influenza virus has not been detected. But, as the picnic season is going on and the New Year eve is going on, so it has been asked to the people to boil the chickens in 100 degree Celsius, while preparing chicken curry, so that the virus would be killed, said the ADVO.
The animal husbandry unit has already provided RD vaccination to nearly 5,000 poultry basically in coastal pockets and also near the Bhitarkanika National Park in precautionary measures. The RD (Ranikheta Disease) vaccine is provided to poultry for saving the chicken from the Ranikheta Disease. As the symptom of Ranikheta disease and bird flu disease is similar in preliminary steps, so the animal husbandry unit has vaccinated the poultries, official sources.
PNN