New Delhi: Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying said that cases of Avian Influenza have been confirmed in 10 states, till January 13. Further, cases of unnatural mortality of birds have been reported in Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir and 4 districts of Jharkhand.
The ministry said that on January 12 a video conference was organized under the chairmanship of Secretary, DAHD, and was attended by representatives from 17 states. Through the meeting, states were advised to efficiently manage the spread of Avian Influenza in their respective states by the Action Plan 2021. To deal with the situation the states were asked to coordinate with the department of health and forest and sensitize them about the issue.
States were also asked to maintain a sufficient supply of protective equipment and maintain biosecurity measures in poultry farms. States were also directed to identify BSL-II labs at the state level for speeding up the identification of infection in the state and timely introduction of control mechanisms.
The states were also asked to ensure that the infection does not spread among poultry, as it would have a high economic cost for the poultry farmers. It was found that many states are banning the supply of poultry and poultry products from other states. As this would add to the negative impact on the poultry industry, the states were requested to reconsider such a decision.
Awareness generation activities through newspaper advertisements, seminars, etc are being conducted by several states. The states were encouraged to continue such awareness generation activities with support from their state Directorate of Information and Public Relations and were assured about the availability of funds for such activities. States should issue advisories on Dos and Don’ts regarding consumption of poultry and eggs, to avoid spreading rumours/ misinformation thereby leading to economic loss for the poultry farmers.