Don’t panic, bird flu is common in winter: Sr official

Don’t panic, bird flu is common in winter: Sr official

Neha.Madaan@timesgroup.com

Pune:13.01.2021

Avian flu occurs every year in the country because migratory birds bring the infection to India from across the world, Atul Chaturvedi, the secretary of the Union government’s department of animal husbandry, dairy and fisheries told TOI on Tuesday.

On the sudden outbreak of avian influenza in parts of the country, Chaturvedi said, “The outbreaks usually happen in winter months, starting from September-October till February-March. Unnecessary panic need not be created about avian influenza — a common phenomenon in India. Some years, the bird mortalities are more and in others less. Every year, India gets the disease because of bird migrations and is declared bird flu-free subsequently after the outbreak is over.”

He said, “In the history of bird flu in India over the last 15 years since 2006, not a single instance has been reported when the infection was passed on to humans. Human to human transmission is even more remote.”

Chaturvedi said there was also no requirement for banning import of poultry products from affected states, which some states were doing, because the infected poultry was being culled and not allowed to move out of the infected zone. “There should be no apprehension about the consumption of poultry products if they are cooked properly,” he said.

He said the states had been told to prioritise the testing of dead bird samples, which was of prime importance to contain the spread of avian influenza.

Chaturvedi said three states — Maharashtra, Haryana and Kerala — among the 10 affected with avian influenza so far in India had reported the outbreak in poultry and duck population, where culling might be required.

Full report on www.toi.in