- Friday, 09 December 2011 23:07
The Bhopal-based Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) has confirmed that the H5N1 virus is responsible for the spate of crow deaths, which has also spread to other parts of the State from the Steel City.
The institute has sent its findings to the Union Government’s Agriculture Department for necessary directives and action. Though H-5 N1, better known as bird flu, has so far affected only the crow population but forest department is concerned as to why it did not affect other birds including chickens.
The local conservator of forest who is also in-charge of divisional forest office, Dhalbhum Sanjeev Kumar has written to the IVRI to find out if there is any change in the sequence of H-5 N1 virus genetic code. “This would help in knowing whether there is any mutation in the original sequence of the virus,” he said.
It may be mentioned that after the Steel City, now the mineral rich West Singhbhum is confronting sporadic rise in the death toll of crows since last few weeks.
The Jagannathpur sub-division of the district, which has reported death of about 200 crows in the last one and half month, had sought scientific probe into the matter, with Bhopal based Indian Veterinary Research Institute being approached, finally. “Initially, we thought the deaths (of crows) are stray cases but gradually when we found more and more crows dying mysteriously, we decided to approach the veterinary department for probe into the matter,” said Bhism Kumar, SDO, Jagannathpur.
Adding further, he said that last week 20 crows were found dead at different locations in the sub-division. “We have buried two stacks of dead crows so far in Jagannathpur,” said the SDO.
With hundreds of crows dying due to the H-5N1 variant of bird flu, the animal husbandry department has also asked locals to feed crows antibiotic-mixed cooked rice, to wear masks and gloves while burying a dead crow and to disinfect the area. The forests and zoo departments have been spraying DDT in animal enclosures and the municipal department has been sprinkling lime powder on roads to ensure the disease doesn’t spread.
“The scientists from Bhopal veterinary research institute had collected the remains of the dead crows for conducting research,” said DFO, Dhalbhum. The forest department authorities had approached IVRI’s Bhopal and Bareilly units last month. Two separate teams from both the places visited the Steel City and collected remains of dead crows for research and analysis.
Statistics available from the forest department reveal that over 1,000 crows have died so far in the Steel City alone during the last one-and-half month. Reports of crow deaths also poured in from various other places across the State including Ranchi, Bokaro and Hazaribagh.
The conservator of forest said that he would soon issue fresh directives for disposal of dead crows. “As the virus has been confirmed by the institute, much care has to be taken for disposal of the carcasses of crows,” he said. http://www.dailypioneer.com/state-editions/ranchi/26625-experts-confirm-h5n1-outbreak.html
The institute has sent its findings to the Union Government’s Agriculture Department for necessary directives and action. Though H-5 N1, better known as bird flu, has so far affected only the crow population but forest department is concerned as to why it did not affect other birds including chickens.
The local conservator of forest who is also in-charge of divisional forest office, Dhalbhum Sanjeev Kumar has written to the IVRI to find out if there is any change in the sequence of H-5 N1 virus genetic code. “This would help in knowing whether there is any mutation in the original sequence of the virus,” he said.
It may be mentioned that after the Steel City, now the mineral rich West Singhbhum is confronting sporadic rise in the death toll of crows since last few weeks.
The Jagannathpur sub-division of the district, which has reported death of about 200 crows in the last one and half month, had sought scientific probe into the matter, with Bhopal based Indian Veterinary Research Institute being approached, finally. “Initially, we thought the deaths (of crows) are stray cases but gradually when we found more and more crows dying mysteriously, we decided to approach the veterinary department for probe into the matter,” said Bhism Kumar, SDO, Jagannathpur.
Adding further, he said that last week 20 crows were found dead at different locations in the sub-division. “We have buried two stacks of dead crows so far in Jagannathpur,” said the SDO.
With hundreds of crows dying due to the H-5N1 variant of bird flu, the animal husbandry department has also asked locals to feed crows antibiotic-mixed cooked rice, to wear masks and gloves while burying a dead crow and to disinfect the area. The forests and zoo departments have been spraying DDT in animal enclosures and the municipal department has been sprinkling lime powder on roads to ensure the disease doesn’t spread.
“The scientists from Bhopal veterinary research institute had collected the remains of the dead crows for conducting research,” said DFO, Dhalbhum. The forest department authorities had approached IVRI’s Bhopal and Bareilly units last month. Two separate teams from both the places visited the Steel City and collected remains of dead crows for research and analysis.
Statistics available from the forest department reveal that over 1,000 crows have died so far in the Steel City alone during the last one-and-half month. Reports of crow deaths also poured in from various other places across the State including Ranchi, Bokaro and Hazaribagh.
The conservator of forest said that he would soon issue fresh directives for disposal of dead crows. “As the virus has been confirmed by the institute, much care has to be taken for disposal of the carcasses of crows,” he said. http://www.dailypioneer.com/state-editions/ranchi/26625-experts-confirm-h5n1-outbreak.html
No comments:
Post a Comment