Bidar: Panic reaction to bird flu is unwarranted, a senior bird scientist in Bidar has said.

Modase Sajiv Reddy, who is engaged in research on migratory birds for the past 15 years, feels that enough precautions are now being taken to stop the spread of disease.

Steps such as culling infected birds and possible targets, cleaning farms and markets will stop the spread of the disease.

There is no need for people to stop eating chicken or eggs. Properly cooked or boiled poultry products are harmless, he says.

Most of the 170 cases of human infections across the world have been due to people being exposed to infected chicken and not eating them, he says. India is the second largest producer of eggs and fifth largest producer of chicken. Poultry industry has a huge employment potential.

Baseless fear

It contributes significantly to the Gross Domestic Product. "We should not lose this position due to baseless fears," says Dr. Reddy.

According to Dr. Reddy, migratory birds may not have caused bird flu in India. Of the 2,100 species of birds found in India at any given time, 350 are migratory. Every year, millions of migratory birds visit thousands of lakes and water bodies in the country. Studies have proved that migratory birds are found in each of the 593 districts in the country.

Migratory birds

A small district like Bidar attracts 45 species of migratory birds. If migratory birds had brought the disease, each district should have had the infection by now, not just Nandurbar in Maharashtra. Secondly, migratory birds come in September and leave by mid March. If these birds have been carrying the H5N1 virus all along, why did they not infect the local birds in September itself, he asks.

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