India-Alert as pigeons fall prey to flu #h5n1

Alert as pigeons fall prey to flu

OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Mithilesh Kumar Bokaro civil surgeon Mithilesh Kumar on Thursday called upon the public to be careful and alert the district administration should they come upon any dead birds. Kumar said the avian flu virus H5N1, which was first detected in crows, appeared to have spread among pigeons as well in the last three days, as many as six birds of the latter variety had been found dead in Bokaro and Chas township. He added that it was feared that this disease could be transmitted to cats and pigs, as the stray animals feed from the same place as scavenger birds. In a bid to stop the spread of the virus, Kumar called for careful disposal of carcasses. People were advised to use plastic or rubber gloves while disposing the dead birds, and the carcasses had to be buried at least a metre below the ground after being covered in lime. The civil surgeon also asked people to get in touch with the district animal husbandry officer Dr Krishna Chowdhury at 9431315952 should they find any dead birds. In the event of any human contracting the virus, the symptoms of which include very high temperature, runny nose and severe body ache, Kumar said such patients needed immediate attention. Though the final results were awaited from Bhopal, where crow carcasses found in Bokaro were sent for testing, the civil surgeon said though the flu strain did not appear to be particularly virulent, precautions have to be taken.

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