Bird flu, Maharashtra issues red alert though no cases reported yet

By ANI

MUMBAI: After many states reported cases of bird flu, the Maharashtra government has issued a red alert in the state and asked the district officials to keep a strict vigil, said state’s Animal Husbandry Minister Sunil Kedar on Thursday.

Speaking to ANI, Kedar informed that till today no case of bird flu has been reported in Maharashtra.

“As per the information that we have, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh have confirmed of bird flu. Because Maharashtra shares borders with some of these states, we have asked district authorities to keep a strict vigil and issued a red alert in the state. If any case is reported, we have made arrangements for vaccines and medicines,” said the minister.

When asked about the dead birds found in Thane district on Wednesday, Kedar said the samples from the dead were sent for testing and were found negative for the Avian Influenza virus.

“If the bird flu breaks out in the state, it will be difficult to manage the situation especially when the situation of Coronavirus is delicate in Maharashtra. I have called a meeting with the Animal Husbandry Commissioner today to take the stock of the situation,” the minister said further.

Yesterday, Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Giriraj Singh said migratory birds are the reason behind the spread of bird flu in the country.

Avian influenza (AI) viruses have been circulating worldwide for centuries with four known major outbreaks recorded in the last century. India notified the first outbreak of avian influenza in 2006.

According to the Ministry of Environment, infection in humans is not yet reported in India though the disease is zoonotic.

There is no direct evidence that AI viruses can be transmitted to humans via the consumption of contaminated poultry products.