Bird Flu Outbreak in India: Avian Influenza Confirmed in Poultry Farms in 5 States, Culling Operations Underway; Check Current Status of Affected States

New Delhi, January 20: Bird flu or avian influenza have been confirmed in 11 states in India and authorities have been put on alert to curb the spread of the flu. As of January 19, 2021 outbreaks of Avian Influenza have been confirmed in five States for poultry birds and in 10 States for crow/migratory/ wild birds. The central team formed for monitoring the situation in the affected areas of the country is visiting the affected sites. The five states where poultry farms have been affected by bird flu include Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Chhattisgarh and Kerala. The culling of poultry birds is being done by rapid response teams (RRTs) in the affected states. Bird Flu FAQs: Is it Safe to Eat Eggs & Chicken? Do Humans Get Infected With Avian Influenza? Here Are Answers to Your Doubts.

Bird flu Status in India

• Bird flu has been confirmed in crow/migratory/ wild birds in the States of Uttar Pradesh (Aliganj, Kheri -Crow).
• In Punjab, bird flu has been reported in Bar Headed Goose in Punjab's Rupnagar.
• Further, Avian Influenza has been confirmed in poultry samples from Allapuzha district, Kerala and in the districts of Nanded (Chikhari and Talahari villages).
• In Maharashtra, the flu has been confirmed in poultry samples in Satara ( Marai Wadi), Latur (Davangaon), Nagpur ( Waranga), Gadchiroli (Gadchiroli), Mumbai (Kalyan, Thane) and Beed (Warati).
• In Maharashtra, in the epicentres of Parbhani district and CPDO, Mumbai control and containment operations have been completed and sanitization is under process.
• Meanwhile, in all other affected epicentres of Maharashtra, RRTs have been deployed and culling of poultry birds is underway. Surveillance work is continued at the places where positive results have been reported in Crow/Migratory/Wild birds.
• A central team has so far visited Raigad and Pune district of Maharashtra to monitor the epicenters of bird flu outbreak and conducting epidemiological studies.
• Further, in Madhya Pradesh, culling operations have been completed in Harda and Mandsaur districts and in Balod district of Chhattisgarh. RRTs have been deployed for culling of poultry birds around 1Km radius of epicentres of the outbreakin poultry.
• In Haryanam, culling operation of poultry is continuing in the epicentres Panchkula district.

In the wake of the rising bird flu cases, all the States are reporting to the authorities on daily basis regarding the control measures adopted by the States/UTs based on the Revised Action Plan for Preparedness, Control and Containment of Avian Influenza 2021. To deal with the situation, the states have been asked to coordinate with the department of health and forest and sensitise them about the issue.

States were also asked to maintain sufficient supply of protective equipment and maintain bio-security measures in poultry farms. The Department is taking continuous efforts to generate awareness about Avian through platforms including social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook handles.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 20, 2021 01:39 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).