CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu has geared up to eliminate any threat of the bird flu pandemic that has claimed 60 lives across Asia and is threatening Europe.

Namakkal, the country's largest poultry producing centre, is on the alert. The Koodankulam bird sanctuary at Tirunelveli is on the lookout for bare-headed geese from China, suspected to carry the deadly H5N1 virus. If it mutates with the human flu virus, that can lead to an outbreak among humans.

Though no cases have been reported, Animal Husbandry officials say they are monitoring the situation. Bio-security shields are planned around 5,600 poultry farms and vigil around migratory bird sanctuaries is being stepped up. Nearly 400 crore poultry have been vaccinated under a regular immunisation drive. The bio-security shield involves disinfecting any vehicle or human being entering a poultry farm and providing special uniforms for labourers.

"We have collected 893 blood samples from poultry birds at Namakkal and Palladam and from bird sanctuaries and sent them to Animal Disease Laboratory in Bhopal. So far the H5N1 virus has not shown up. A team led by a senior research officer of Central Referral Laboratory, Saidapet, has been formed to monitor collection of blood samples of migratory birds and poultry. Samples are also being obtained from poultry farm workers and those living adjacent to sanctuaries and poultry farms," Animal Husbandry Secretary Vishwanath Shegaonkar told The Hindu .

Poultry farmers have been asked to report any abnormal cases immediately. Officials of the Forest Department and the Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University are collecting the samples.

"Apart from migratory birds, ducks and pigs are also known to carry the virus. Poultry farms cannot keep an outbreak under wraps as the disease strikes ferociously. However, in Tamil Nadu, the chances of poultry being infected by wild birds are minimal, as there are no farms around the bird sanctuaries," says A. Koteeswaran, Director, Animal Health Sciences, TANUVAS. The fact that the State has only large mechanised poultry farms may go in its favour.

"As against 5,000 farms in Namakkal alone during 1980-1984, now all small farms have gone out of business and only 500 big units are operating. All birds here are kept in closed enclosures and regularly vaccinated to eliminate any chance of infection from wild birds," says A. Mohan Reddy, Chennai zonal chairman, National Egg Co-ordination Committee. A national plan against bird-flu is likely to be evolved in New Delhi after Animal Husbandry Secretaries from various States take stock of the situation on Wednesday.

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