Bhubaneswar: The state government has formed special supervisory teams and rapid response teams for active surveillance and monitoring of birds for any sign of suspected avian influenza.
The Fisheries and Animal Resources Development (F&ARD) department has formed nine special supervisory teams at state-level to immediately proceed to any suspected location of bird flu in the state.
Further, all chief district veterinary officers (CDVOs) have been directed to constitute 10 to 15 Rapid Response Teams (RRT) at the district level for prompt response to any reports of suspected case of the disease, an officials said here Thursday.
Similarly, a state-level control room headed by the joint director, disease control (telephone no 0671 2414310) has started functioning at the directorate of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services, Cuttack.
People can consume chicken meat, eggs and other poultry products produced in the state with proper cooking, he said.
Migratory birds are the carriers of the influenza and it spreads through faecal droppings, shared feed and drinking water of the birds. The state government is vigilant and is continuously observing any unnatural deaths and behavior of birds at the places where there is concentration of migratory birds, said Bibhu Ranjan Das from directorate of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services.
Animal Disease Research Institute (ADRI) at State level, Clinical Investigation Laboratory (CIL) and State Veterinary Laboratory (SVL) at regional level and District Diagnostic Laboratory (DDL) at district level has been geared up with full strength for collection and testing of the samples, he said.
The samples are also sent to the Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (RDDL) at Kolkata. Until now around 11,000 samples have been collected and tested during the current migratory season. So far all samples have been tested negative for avian influenza.
Asked about reports on death of birds in Govindpur village in Begunia block of Khorda district, the official said, “We have visited the place and found that around120 poultry birds have been dead. Five of the dead birds have been taken to ADRI for laboratory investigation. All five samples have been tested negative for Avian Influenza virus.”
The birds died due to some other reason. The birds have not been provided food and water for last two days. That might be the reason, Das said.