Cabinet declares #bird flu emergency in Bhaktapur areas

Cabinet declares bird flu emergency in Bhaktapur areas

The move was, however, in sharp contrast to the stand taken earlier in the day by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, which had declared Kathmandu a 'bird flu-free zone.'

 KATHMANDU, DEC 02 - The Cabinet, late on Friday, declared the western area of Lokanthali, the Manahara bridge area and slums adjoining the bridge 'bird-flu emergency areas.'

The move was, however, in sharp contrast to the stand taken earlier in the day by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, which had declared Kathmandu a 'bird flu-free zone.'
According to government spokesman and Deputy Prime Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha, a meeting of the Cabinet decided to take 'extreme' measures to prevent the spread of the flu to other parts of the Valley and also keep the area under surveillance.
However, senior veterinarian and the focal person of the Rapid Response Team (RRT) deployed in the affected area, said the government should have taken this decision much earlier as they have already intervened in the areas and done the needful.
In a press conference on Friday, a senior official from the Agriculture ministry said the Manohara area is free from the H5N1 virus, which also infects humans.
A senior veterinary doctor, Dr Narayan Prasad Ghimire, had also said at the conference, "Kathmanduites need not worry about the flu as it is under control. The site of the outbreak will be kept under surveillance for 42 days and till then they will not be allowed to rear fowls."
An official involved in monitoring the outbreak was, however, quick to say that the declaration was made in haste. The official, who did not want to be named for fear of retribution, said the site should have been kept under observation for at least another week.

"The RRT members who slaughtered the birds on Tuesday have to be under observation for a week as they have high chances of developing bird flu symptoms," said a veterinary doctor, requesting anonymity. "It has been just four days. Also, the pond close to the outbreak site is the only one in the entire area where all the birds go to swim. Chances are still high that the birds will be infected again."
Despite claims from government officials that it has quarantined the area, many fowls are still seen in the nearby areas. Experts say the faeces of the fowls are a major source of infection.
Officials are, however, trying to play down the risk.
Dr Nar Bahadur Rajwar, Director General at the Department of Livestock Services said people can consume chicken and can also go on with their poultry business without fear.
On Thursday, the government formed the seven-member RRT that will keep people in the outbreak area under surveillance for 10 days.
"We have formed an experts' team that will be observing the health of the residents in the area. We have also requested all the people there to visit the nearby Lokanthali sub-health post if they develop any Influenza like symptoms (ILS)," Dr GD Thakur, the chairman of the RRT and Director at the Epidemiology and Diseases Control Department (EDCD), said.
The general symptoms of the disease include fever of more than 100.4 F, cough, sore throat, muscle ache and difficulty in breathing.
The RRT team on Friday visited the outbreak site where no one reported the symptoms, said Kumar Dahal, the Public Health Inspector at the Avian Influenza Control Project.