FOCUS ON PREVENTION: Chief Minister Jayalalithaa holding discussion at the Secretariat on Tuesday on measures to prevent bird flu in the State. Photo: V. Ganesan

CHENNAI: Following the outbreak of Avian Influenza Maharashtra's Nandurbar district, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa held a review meeting here on Tuesday with Ministers, the Chief Secretary and officials of the departments concerned to discuss preventive, control and safety measures.

An official release here said: "There is no reason to panic, as Avian Influenza is not prevalent in the State." As there was no outbreak of the disease in Tamil Nadu, the Kerala Government, which banned the purchase of fowls and eggs from the State on February 20, lifted it on the same day, it said. Still, after the outbreak in Maharashtra, the Chief Minister stressed the need for taking precautionary measures.

The Government has decided to form monitoring committees at the State and district levels. The Chief Secretary will head the State-level committee. In the districts, the Collectors will lead them.

All the bird sanctuaries will be closely monitored. All the 1,249 sera samples sent from the State to the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory, Bhopal, on January 31, tested negative for the H5N1 strain of Avian Influenza. The samples, collected from fowls in the farms and migratory birds in the sanctuaries, were sent to the laboratory every fortnight.

Inter-State borders

All workers of the poultry farms have been given instructions on measures to ensure safety and hygiene. They have been advised not to rear birds other than fowls. The employees should be provided with gloves and socks. They have been cautioned against going for work from one farm to another. All the vehicles coming to the farms should be allowed only after spraying them with disinfectant solutions.

Round-the-clock checkpoints have been set up on the inter-State borders at Hosur in Krishnagiri district, Thalavadi in Erode district, Katpadi in Vellore district and Kavarapettai in Tiruvallur district. Animal Husbandry Department personnel, who man these checkpoints, have been asked to allow these vehicles after spraying the tyres with disinfectants.

The Government has temporarily banned the entry of vehicles from Maharashtra carrying poultry, poultry products and feed and feed ingredients. A control room will function round-the-clock at the Directorate of Animal Husbandry to monitor the situation and coordinate preventive measures.

The Government has also advised that chicken meat and eggs be cooked and consumed only after boiling it up to 70 degree Celsius. The employees of the noon-meal centres have been asked to distribute eggs to the beneficiaries, duly boiling them.

Death of fowls

Death of fowls or other birds should be immediately intimated to the nearby veterinary clinic and primary health centres. Government hospitals and Corporation or municipal commissioners should be informed of cases of suffocation of any person, the release said.

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