Central Team Visits Areas Affected By Bird Flu In Odisha’s Puri District

Official sources said that the Central team comprising senior officials and experts from the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) will undertake a two-day visit to the state for further monitoring.

Bhubaneswar: In the wake of aviation influenza outbreak in some parts of Odisha, a three-member Central team on Wednesday visited poultry farms in different areas of Nimapara block in Puri district to take stock of the situation.

The team comprising experts from the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) Dr Abhijit Mitra, Dr Adhiraj Mishra and Ramasish Hazare visited different poultry farms in Daspurusottampur, Balipada and Bakugaon under the block.

They talked to the farm owners, locals and Rapid Response Teams in the areas about the death of chickens and their symptoms before death. The veterinary experts advised the farmers and locals to keep the affected chickens in isolation to prevent spread of the disease.

Speaking to the media, Dr Mitra said bird flu affects chickens, wild birds and cows. Though bird flu virus can infect the humans, no such case has been detected so far, he added.

It may be noted that four epicentres of the outbreak of bird flu were confirmed in Pipili, Satyabadi, Nimapara and Delanga blocks of Puri district during a high-level meeting of Central and state government officials on Monday.

It was also revealed at the meeting that more than 35,000 birds had been culled in the areas affected by bird flu in the state so far.

The control and containment operation was being carried out as per the action plan of the Central government. While the operation has been completed at Pipili and Satyabadi, the process was underway at Delanga and Nimapada areas of Puri.

Altogether 51 Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) have been engaged in culling, disposal of birds and sanitation in infected zone.