The Hindu : National : Death of eagles in Ranikhet `not due to bird flu'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 13, 2006

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National

Death of eagles in Ranikhet `not due to bird flu'

Gargi Parsai

Confirmation from veterinary research institute

NEW DELHI: Even as the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations warned that the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 could become endemic in Turkey, the Department of Animal Husbandry here said there had been no bird flu deaths in India so far.

About 50 eagles were found dead in Ranikhet, some 50 km from Almora in Uttaranchal, raising fears of an outbreak of bird flu in the country. However, the veterinary research institute in Bareilli has confirmed that it was not a case of bird flu.

Speaking to The Hindu , Secretary of Animal Husbandry P.M.A. Hakeem said on Tuesday that there had been no deaths due to avian flu. "Even so we have sent the blood samples of the dead eagles in Ranikhet to our testing centre in Bhopal.''

India has strengthened its surveillance against bird flu and was keeping a strict vigil on migratory birds. It has prepared a contingency plan and taken several control measures.

FAO issues alert

The FAO called upon countries neighbouring Turkey such as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iraq, Iran and Syria to be on high alert, to apply surveillance and control measures and to ensure that the public was fully informed about the avian influenza risk. The FAO has sent a team of experts to Turkey to support the authorities in their bird flu control efforts.

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