Bird flu: State orders surveillance of area around Sukhna lake

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 18

The Haryana government has directed the health authorities to conduct a surveillance of the area of Panchkula within a 3 km radius from Sukhna Lake as precautionary measure in light of suspected bird flu threat.

Any patient with bird flu symptoms would be isolated and investigated for suspected infection. Isolation facility has been made available in the General Hospital (GH), Panchkula, for quarantine of suspected, an official spokesman said here today.

The Civil Surgeon, Panchkula and Medical Superintendent, GH, Panchkula, have been directed to make Tamiflu tablet for the infected persons. Information, education and communication activities are underway for creating awareness among the people regarding its prevention and management, the spokesman added.

However, no fresh advisory or alert had been issued by Centre to the state government. The transmission of bird flu does not travel from person to person easily. Migrating water fowl, most probably wild ducks, are its natural carriers. It is suspected that the infection could spread from wild fowl to domestic poultry, he added.

“It is rare that transmission occurs from birds to humans but the most susceptible persons are those who come in close contact with the birds or bird droppings, cleaning or plucking infected birds, swimming or bathing in water contaminated with droppings of infected birds and also those who handle fighting cocks,” the spokesman said.

No need to panic in bird flu case: Haryana

The Department of Animal Husbandry, Haryana, is in constant contact with the Centre and the Chandigarh Administration where avian influenza (bird flu) positive case have been reported at Sukhna Lake. The lake and its adjoining forest area lie in the close vicinity of the state. There is no need to panic since no bird flu case has been reported so far. However, the department officials have been put on alert for control and containment of bird flu.