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- By Parinda News Bureau, February 20, 2006, 11:26 IST
Mumbai: The Governments of Haryana, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttaranchal, Goa have banned the entry of poultry products from Maharashtra as a precautionary measure following an outbreak of bird flu. The Centre and various state governments have sounded an alert to prevent the spread of bird flu virus, following its outbreak in Maharashtra, where two people were admitted to a hospital with suspected deadly H5N1 virus and 30,000 laying birds died due to the disease/The Centre on Sunday reviewed the situation in Maharashtra and assured the state government of all possible help in tackling the disease. Union Animal Husbandry Secretary PMA Hakeem was briefed by Maharashtra and Gujarat government officials. Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said two patients from Navapur in Nandurbar district, which has come in the grips of the bird flu disease, have been kept in isolated wards in the government hospital there and their blood samples have been sent for testing to the Pune-based National Institute of Virology (NIV).The chief minister told a press conference in Mumbai that so far, blood samples of 20 persons, working in poultries in Navapur, had been sent to the NTV for testing. About six to seven lakh birds will be culled in Navapur taluka of Maharashtra, as a measure to prevent the spread of bird flu which has affected several thousand birds here, said a senior state government official. Another 20,000 birds will be vaccinated against the epidemic, Deputy Commissioner Animal Husbandry Maharashtra S M Ali said. Out of 52 farms in Navapur, 16 farms have a capacity to house at least 2.5 lakh birds— are affected by the epidemic, he said and added about 49 of these are located within a radius of three km of one another. Tests conducted in the government laboratory in Bhopal had con firmed the H5N1 avian influenza virus in some of the dead birds.
The Jammu and Kashmir government sounded a bird flu alert in the entire state following the outbreak of avian influenza in Maharashtra. The I and K government had on February 7, constituted a high-level task force headed by the Chief Secretary to monitor the situation and draw a strategy in the eventuality of outbreak of the deadly bird flu disease. The government decision followed the news about 600 carcasses of migratory birds, blamed for the spread of bird flu in several countries across the globe, were found near the Pangong Lake in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir some weeks ago. Meanwhile, the Goa government has banned entry of live birds, broilers and eggs into the island state from neighbouring Karnataka and Maharashtra as a precautionary measure with reports of outbreak of avian flue coming in from Maharashtra since yesterday,. The Uttaranchal government has declared a red alert in the state and ban on fowl import is being contemplated. The Maharashtra government had initiated urgent measures to tackle the situation and nine lakh poultry birds, from the 49 poultries in Navapur, would be killed by Monday evening.
The poultry owners would be adequately compensated for the same with an equal share coming from the State and central governments, Mr Deshmukh said.
A Central team comprising experts from the National Institute of Communicable Diseases had been rushed to the state with supplies to check the spread of disease. About 300 veternary doctors have already reached the town to help in the operation.
The Haryana government has constituted a three-member Rapid Action Team to monitor the situation in the state on a day-to-day basis for keeping a check on bird flu.
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