The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : A.P. steps up vigil following bird flu outbreak

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Thursday, Jan 17, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

A.P. steps up vigil following bird flu outbreak

More than 5,000 veterinary teams asked to take up inspection of poultry farms

Around 5.5 crore eggs produced daily
A.P. is largest producer of poultry products

HYDERABAD: With confirmation of avian flu in West Bengal, authorities in Andhra Pradesh, a State that produces one-third of eggs in India, have stepped up vigil and intensified inspection of thousands of poultry farms across the State.

Though there was no cause for worry, as the situation was being constantly monitored for the past four years, veterinary teams and poultry industry have been advised to watch out for any “unusual mortality” as a matter of caution, Director of Animal Husbandry L. Mohan told The Hindu. More than 5,000 veterinary teams, each comprising a doctor and a para-veterinarian, have been asked to take up an immediate round of inspection of poultry farms. Each team would be covering five-six villages. Besides, the teams and the industry has also been advised to look for “respiratory problems” and keep a strict vigil on the poultry population, Dr. Mohan said.

While the death of four to five birds a day in a flock of 10,000-20,000 birds was normal, it would have to be considered “unusual” if the birds perish in large numbers. The Forest department officials, trained in identifying symptoms of bird flu, have been told to keep a close watch on bird sanctuaries too.

Asserting that there was no need to worry about infected poultry products coming into the State as the imports were virtually negligible. A total of 920 ‘response teams’ had been positioned all over the State, with their number varying from 40 to 60 for each district. At any time, the poultry population in the State would be between 12.5 crore to 13 crore, the highest in the country.Dr. Mohan said the situation was being constantly monitored, by inspecting farms and sending samples to a high security laboratory.

As many as 7,696 samples were tested this year. “All the samples have tested negative,” he added.

High alert

With confirmed cases of bird flu getting reported from West Bengal and Bangladesh, authorities from animal husbandry department have asked health and forest departments to remain alert.

The migration season of birds is still on, expected to continue till February in Hyderabad and elsewhere, and hence animal husbandry officials have sounded an alert to forest officials. The department has asked them to watch out for unnatural deaths of migratory birds at various forest habitats.

The animal husbandry officials have decided to increase checks, collection of sera samples from poultry facilities in and around Hyderabad and Telangana. Officials informed that already, since past one-year, a lot of work has been done to improve bio-safety measures in various poultry farms, held by private companies.

The department has already given training to doctors, both veterinary and general practitioners, in dealing with bird-flu outbreaks. The forest officials have received enough scientific training on safe-methods in collecting specimen samples since last one-year from city-based Veterinary Biological Research Institute (VBRI) of animal-husbandry department. “By January of this year, we had collected over 8,000 samples from various parts of the State and sent to a laboratory in Bangalore for testing. The previous year, we had collected over 7,000 samples but none of them turned positive. Nevertheless, circulars have been sent to various departments and our district officials to stay alert,” informed VBRI Joint Director M. Sudarshan Rao.

Andhra Pradesh is the largest producer of poultry products in the country.

The total production of eggs per day is around 5.5 crore. “Since we are the largest producers, products from West Bengal or other northern parts do not come here. Perhaps, we should be alert with migratory birds and that’s why even the forest officials are alerted,” Mr. Rao informed.

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