Bird flu now plagues Madhya Pradesh

Indore, Jan 5: After hundreds of birds have been found dead due to dreaded avian influenza across Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, the emergence of bird flu has caused alarm in Madhya Pradesh where the presence of the virus has been confirmed in dead crows.

 

The Madhya Pradesh government sounded Bird flu alert after the dreaded virus was found in dead crows in Indore. Notably, crows were also found dead in Mandsaur, Agar-Malwa, Khargone and Sehore.

 

The state government has issued an alert over the H5N8 avian influenza. Animal husbandry department officials in every district have been put on alert and asked to follow Standard Operating Procedures to check the spread of the virus. According to Animal Husbandry Minister Prem Singh Patel, between December 23 and January 3, 142 crows died in Indore, 100 in Mandsaur, 112 in Agar Malwa and 13 crows died in Khargone districts.

 

A few days before, many dead crows were found near the campus of an educational institute in Indore, following which samples of carcasses were sent to Bhopal for clinical examination and the presence of bird flu-like virus was confirmed, according to a state department health official.

 

 

The Rajasthan government has also sounded bird flu alert after confirmation of avian influenza in crows that died in Jhalawar district last week. Over 250 crows were found dead in half a dozen districts in the state.

 

Even, Kerala has sounded a high alert after bird flu cases were reported in Kottayam and Alappuzha districts. To contain the avian influenza outbreak, the officials have ordered the culling of ducks, hens, etc within one-kilometer radius of the affected areas. The bird flu was reported from Nedumudi, Thakazhy, Pallippad, and Karuvatta. Around 1,700 ducks have died in a duck farm in Neendoor panchayat in the Kottayam district. Around 40,000 domestic birds will be culled to check the spread of the H5N8 virus.

 

According to initial reports, more than 1700 migratory birds have died in Pong Dam of Himachal Pradesh under mysterious circumstances. The updated reports have taken the death toll of birds of various species of migratory birds on a hike of 2,400 birds, out of which 600 have been reported to have died on Jan 4. The Wildlife officials of Dharmshala have also confirmed the reports.