Bird flu outbreak: Centre rushes experts to Kerala and Haryana
The Union Health Ministry has deployed multi-disciplinary teams to Avian Influenza affected Alappuzha and Kottayam districts in Kerala, and Panchkula district in Haryana. The two multi-disciplinary teams comprise experts from National Center for Disease Control, National Institute of Virology, PGIMER, Chandigarh, Dr RML Hospital, New Delhi and Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi.
FollowThe Union Health Ministry has deployed multi-disciplinary teams to Avian Influenza affected Alappuzha and Kottayam districts in Kerala, and Panchkula district in Haryana.
The two multi-disciplinary teams comprise experts from National Center for Disease Control, National Institute of Virology, PGIMER Chandigarh, Dr RML Hospital in New Delhi and Lady Hardinge Medical College in New Delhi.
Avian Influenza has been spreading across 12 epicentres in the states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Kerala.
Control and containment operations are underway in full swing in these states, with others taking preventive measures to spread of Avian Influenza.
In Kerala, where Avian Influenza strain has been detected in poultry-duck, has four epicentres in Alappuzha (where 28,000 ducks died in a fortnight) alone along with one more in Kottayam.
Culling operations are underway in the two districts and strict controls have been imposed to contain the H5N8 strain of the bird flu.
Tamil Nadu, meanwhile, has imposed a ban on poultry and eggs shipped from Kerala. An alert has been sounded in the border areas as well.
Similar reports of Avian Influenza have also been reported from Jhalawar, Rajasthan and Bhind, Madhya Pradesh involving crows and migratory birds.
The Union Health Ministry said that so far no human case of Avian Influenza had been reported anywhere in the country.
Action Plan on Avian Influenza
Among the measures suggested to the affected States to contain the disease and prevent further spread as per the Action Plan on Avian Influenza include:
* Strengthening the biosecurity of poultry farms.
* Disinfection of affected areas
* Proper disposal of dead birds/carcasses.
* Timely collection and submission of samples for confirmation.
* Further surveillance, intensification of a surveillance plan
* Coordination with the forest department for reporting any unusual mortality of birds.
