BHUBANESWAR: The bird flu virus has struck Bhubaneswar, spreading panic among dealers and consumers of poultry products here.
The High Security Animal Disease Laboratory ( HSADL) of Indian Veterinary Research Institute ( IVRI) in Bhopal confirmed detection of the dreaded disease on Friday after testing samples sent by the Central Poultry Development Organisation (CPDO) here.
CDPO's farm is located behind the Kalinga Stadium in Nayapalli area in the heart of the city. "We have declared an area spread over three-km radius off the epicentre (the farm) as alert zone and ordered ban on movement of poultry birds or related products into the area or outside," commissioner, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, Vishal Dev, told TOI.
BMC convened a meeting to discuss the issue and decided to forthwith initiate all preventive and precautionary measures. Official sources said CPDO had sent three samples for testing to the Bhopal laboratory after some birds died in its farm in the last week of January. "Of the three samples, at least one has tested positive for the H5N1 virus which causes bird flu or avian influenza," an officer disclosed.
Detection of bird flu in Bhubaneswar comes on the heels of the government undertaking culling operations at Keranga in Khurda district and Bahanada in Betanoti block of Mayurbhanj district to prevent the spread of the virus.
Official sources said culling was expected in the CPDO farm and adjacent areas, but orders were awaited from the Centre.
Official sources said the CPDO farm has around 29,000 birds, including 16,600 chicks. Salia Sahi, the biggest slum in Odisha, falls under the alert zone, which spreads over 21 of the 60 wards in the capital city. "We have formed surveillance teams and would undertake such activities as sprinkling of bleaching powder at all poultry farms," Dev added. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/Avian-influenza-detected-in-Bhubaneswar/articleshow/11749961.cms
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