The central government has issued an alert regarding the H5N1 virus, commonly known as bird flu, following outbreaks in nine states, including Jharkhand and Punjab, since January. An advisory from the Dairy and Animal Husbandry Department, dated March 7, has instructed State and Union Territory (UT) administrations to intensify monitoring in vulnerable locations such as poultry farms and bird markets.
To prevent spread, the Center has pledged technical assistance to every state and emphasized the urgent activation of measures outlined in the National Action Plan for Avian Influenza. The advisory emphasizes the imposition of strict vigilance in risk areas, including live bird markets, migratory bird habitats, and poultry-density areas. It requests the deployment of rapid response teams and the development of veterinary and laboratory capacity, consistent with the updated 2021 guidelines of the National Action Plan.
Recent cases have compelled forcible containment actions, including the killing of 5,500 birds in Ranchi last week. The Jharkhand Ranchi district outbreak that killed about 250 birds traced its origin to a government poultry farm. Official certification came from the ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) in Bhopal.
Bringing to fore concerns over violations of biosecurity, the Center acknowledged the existence of the virus in government-run poultry houses and further asserted that action to correct this had to be undertaken forthwith. Officials have been instructed to carry out proper biosecurity audits in the government farms and make good any shortcomings at the earliest.
Telangana too has reported an outbreak, with the deaths of 3,500 country chickens impacting farmers' livelihoods. The state has followed suit by banning poultry imports from Andhra Pradesh, after there were confirmed cases in the East Godavari district last month. Another outbreak has surfaced in Jharkhand’s Bokaro district, nearly a month after the Ranchi incident. The H5N1 virus was confirmed on March 7, prompting a directive from the central government to the state’s chief secretary. The infection, which emerged from a government poultry farm in Sector 12, resulted in the deaths of around 250 birds.
Acting quickly, the Bokaro administration killed 46 birds and destroyed 506 eggs on March 9 as per directions from the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying. Authorities have also been directed to demarcate infected and surveillance zones while putting out-of-bound restrictions on affected areas.
As several states reported outbreaks, the officials were called upon to enhance containment measures, implement stringent biosecurity procedures, and exercise caution to avoid further transmission of the virus.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Sai Sindhuja K/MSM)