Bhubaneswar: Two suspected human cases of bird flu have been detected in Odisha’s Puri even as mass culling of chickens was being undertaken in several parts of the district.
According to official sources, the suspected human cases have been detected at the Community Health Centre (CHC) in the coastal district and steps taken for further laboratory tests for confirmation.
Samples of the suspected avian flu cases have been sent to the Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC) in Bhubaneswar for tests required for confirmation.
Though bird-to-human transmission is rare, it can happen in case of people in direct contact with live birds, health officials said.
Stating that two cases with bird flu symptoms have been found, Public Health Director Nilakantha Mishra said samples have been sent to RMRC and Pune Virology Centre to ascertain if the cases are positive.
It may be noted that mass culling of chickens was launched after H5N1 was recently detected in some farms in Pipilli and Satyabadi areas of Puri district by the National Institute of High Security Animal Disease (NIHSD).
Earlier, Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling told ANI that the department is fully prepared, with ASHA workers conducting door-to-door awareness campaigns and distributing Tamiflu medicine to those in need.
As part of steps to deal with the situation, the Health department has established a primary surveillance zone within one km radius and a secondary surveillance layer extending from one km to ten km around the affected area.
ASHA workers are conducting door-to-door awareness campaigns and distributing Tamiflu medicines to those in need, along with N95 masks as part of the containment strategy.
“The health department intensified its monitoring efforts. Surveillance and preparedness activities are being rigorously conducted in the Pipili and Satyabadi blocks of Puri district, where the ongoing H5N1 outbreak is under close observation,” the Minister said.
The government remains vigilant, with close coordination between the health and animal husbandry department, he said.
Over 25,000 birds have so far been culled as part of the containment measures, Mahaling said.
