Bhubaneswar: Twelve Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) comprising qualified veterinary doctors and para-veterinarians reached the poultry farm inside the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) campus Tuesday to prevent the spreading of the bird flu virus in the area.
The teams reached the campus after detection of an avian influenza (bird flu) case in the poultry farm of OUAT inside the campus of College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry here. Over 5000 birds were culled Tuesday.
A sample was sent to the Bhopal testing lab which confirmed the presence of H5N1 virus after which the government prohibited movement of poultry birds and poultry products to and from the infected zone.
Seven teams were engaged in the culling operation while five carried out surveillance measures in the surrounding areas.
The vigil was stepped up within a 10 km radius of the affected area, the officials said Tuesday.
There has been so fat no case of infection in humans due to the outbreak of the highly contagious H5N1 virus, experts said.
Earlier, the area within one km of the infected site was declared “Infected Zone” and the area within one to 10 km radius is stated as “Surveillance Zone.”
All birds and eggs within one km radius of the infected site were culled and disposed of by means deep burial with application of disinfectants like lime and bleaching powder to check further contamination. The process will continue till there are no more infected birds, said the officials.
In total the seven rapid action force teams culled and disposed of 922 birds, disposed of 4631 eggs and destroyed 2357 kg of poultry feed.
The owners of the poultry farm were paid compensation of Rs 20 per broiler chick, Rs 70 per broiler adult, Rs 20 per layer chick and Rs 90 per layer adult, Rs 35 per duckling, Rs 135 per adult duck, Rs 3 per egg and Rs 12 per kg of poultry feed.