Bird flu: Govt to check poultry entering state

Jupinderjit Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 18

The state today launched precautionary measures, including special surveillance of poultry farms and survey of suspect areas in Kansal and Naya Gaon, following the death of a duck due to avian flu at Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh.

All poultry entering the state will be checked.

Though no bird death due to flu or any other infection has been reported in the state so far, the government has initiated steps to check the spread of the infection.

Asking residents not to panic, Health and Family Welfare Minister Surjit Kumar Jyani today said the government had the requisite infrastructure to deal with any such situation.

Director (Animal Husbandary) Dr Harinderjit Singh Sandha said no case of bird flu had been reported from any part of the state so far. There was no suspected infection also, he added.

Expressing concern over a case of bird flu detected at Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh, Jyani said teams of medical officers from Mohali had been deputed to conduct a survey in the adjoining areas, especially in Kansal and Naya Gaon.

The minister also directed the civil surgeons, especially in districts around Chandigarh, to be ready with the required infrastructure and create special isolation wards in government hospitals. Special teams of doctors have been constituted to tackle any such eventuality.

As a precautionary measure, poultry products entering Punjab from Chandigarh would be checked at the entry points, he added. He said food analysis inspectors would conduct surprise inspections at poultry shops to ensure that there was no fresh supply of poultry products and poultry feed from areas around Chandigarh.