Avian flu led to birds’ death in Pong lake

Lalit Mohan & Rajiv Mahajan
Tribune News Service

Dharamsala/Nurpur, Jan 4

Avian flu H5N1 virus has killed migratory birds in the Pong wetland. The toll crossed 1,900 till this evening whereas Wildlife teams continued counting the dead birds.

As per reports received by the district administration from the Regional Diseases Diagnostic Laboratory, Jalandhar, and the Veterinary College, Palampur, and the National Institute of High Security Animal Disease (NIHSAD), Bhopal, avian flu H5N1 has caused the death of aquatic birds in the lake. After the reports were received, the administration today declared the 1-km area from the lake as red zone to contain the spread of the virus in poultry birds and humans.

DC, Kangra, Rakesh Prajapati admitted that the birds’ death had been caused by avian flu.

The district authorities have banned the sale of poultry products in Dehra, Jawali, Fatehpur and Indora. The areas lie along the lake.

He said, “If avian flu spreads, we may have to cull poultry birds too.” Besides the migratory birds, there had been reports that some local birds such as crows had been found dead in the wetland area.

HPCC secy writes to CM

• Reports from a Jalandhar lab and Palampur vet college confirm that avian flu has caused the death of aquatic birds
• The district authorities have banned the sale of poultry products in Dehra, Jawali, Fatehpur and Indora
• HPCC general secretary Kewal Singh Pathania has written to the Chief Minister to send specialists to control the flu

Directives of district admin

• No human and domestic livestock activities will be allowed in and around 1-km periphery of Pong reservoir
• The next 9 km of the alert zone will be under surveillance
• All tourist activities suspended till further order
• Anyone violating the order will be prosecuted

As per the Centre for Disease Prevention, avian flu or influenza refers to the disease caused by infection with avian influenza viruses. These viruses occur naturally among wild aquatic birds worldwide and can infect domestic poultry and other bird and animal species. Avian flu viruses do not normally infect humans. However, sporadic human infections can occur.

Avian influenza A viruses are ontagious among birds and some of these viruses can sicken and even kill certain domesticated bird species, including chickens, ducks, and turkeys. The infected birds shed avian influenza A viruses from their saliva, nasal secretions and faeces and the susceptible birds catch the infection.

The centre’s site also states that although avian influenza A viruses usually do not infect people, rare cases of human infection with these viruses have been reported. Human infections with bird flu viruses can happen when enough virus gets into a person’s eyes, nose or mouth or is inhaled. This can happen when the virus is in the air (in droplets or possibly dust) and a person breathes it in, or when a person touches something that has virus on it and then touches their mouth, eyes or nose. Illness in people has ranged from mild to severe.

There is panic among the people living around the Pong lake due to the avian flu killing the birds in their area. HPCC general secretary Kewal Singh Pathania has written to Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur to send teams of specialists to control the spread of avian flu.

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