Bird flu pandemic hits city

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Bengaluru is on bird flu alert after 3,481 turkeys housed in the Central Poultry Development Organisation (CPDO) campus in Hesaraghatta were reported to have died recently.

The High Security Animal Diseases Laboratory in Bhopal has confirmed that the cause of the turkey deaths was bird flu. Of the 16 strains of the virus reported so far, it is the H5N1 strain of the avian influenza virus that has been found in the infected birds. Other birds on the 150-acre campus such as hens and emus are said to be disease free.

Animal Husbandry Minister Revunaik Belamagi, confirmed the outbreak of bird flu in Hesaraghatta, 32 km away from Bangalore on Friday. “This is the first time, Karnataka has reported bird flu cases, though it surfaced in India in 2006,” he said. “Soon after receiving the report, the animal husbandry department ordered culling of the remaining 789 birds on the campus and the culled birds were scientifically disposed of. We have declared a one-kilometre radius around CPDO as an infected zone and a 10-km radius as surveillance zone. The infected zone has been sanitised as per Central guidelines while the 68 villages falling within the surveillance zone are under vigilance too.”

The deputy commissioner of Bengaluru Urban district issued a notification on Thursday to enforce guidelines issued by the Centre for control and containment of avian influenza.

Announcing the measures that have been taken, Arvind Jannu, principal secretary, animal husbandry department, said, “As a first step, a week-long ban on the sale of chicken and eggs in poultry farms, shops and non-vegetarian hotels falling within the surveillance zone has been imposed. The movement of chicken and eggs from and into the surveillance zone is prohibited. We have quarantined one kilometre radius around CPDO and sent out 25 rapid response teams to screen the area and also extend technical guidance to backyard farms and commercial poultry farms to cull and scientifically dispose of the infected birds.”

He said compensation will be provided for the birds culled by the department, but warned that “people trying to defy the guidelines or sell dead birds from the surveillance zone will be punished.”

CPDO quarantined

With news spreading fast about the outbreak of bird flu, the 4000 acre Central Poultry Development Organisation has been quarantined and visitors have been restricted from entering for the last 10 days. Around 10 days ago, more than 3000 turkeys died in the turkey units. Following this, all the employees have been provided gloves, masks and plastic shoe covers. Venkates­happa, 50, said that he has been working at the CPDO for the last one month. There is no problem at the duck, emu and chicken units. Howe­ver, there is some problem in the turkey unit where a large number of turkeys have died, he said.

BBMP chief health officer, Dr Devaki Umesh, said that there is no outbreak of bird flu in the city. The state government is taking adequate measures. Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, principal secretary, animal husbandry, Aravind Jannu said though the outbreak of bird flu has been reported at Hesaraghatta, there is no need to panic. The city is not under threat and no precautionary measures and restrictions have been clamped beyond 10 km from the CPDO.