37,000 pure-bred poultry birds culled in Odisha #H5N1 #BIRDFLU

BHUBANESWAR, February 7, 2012

Odisha has suffered a huge setback in poultry research and commercialisation as the parent stock of birds, being maintained in two prominent research centres, has been eliminated in the culling operation carried out following detection of bird flu here.

The HinduContaining the virus: Large scale culling of poultry to check bird flu continues for the second day at the All India Co-ordinated Research Project on Poultry Breeding (for meat) at OUAT in Bhubaneswar on Monday. Photo: Lingaraj Panda

By evening on Monday more than 37,000 pure bred birds, had been culled in farms of the Central Poultry Development Organisation (CPDO) and veterinary college of the Orissa University of Agriculture Technology (OUAT) here.

The CPDO had 29,857 poultry birds in layer chicken, quail, guinea fowl and turkey while OUAT firms possessed about 8000 birds.

“The loss is immeasurable. We had developed the stock after 15 to 16 years of research under a project of the Indian Council of Agriculture Research. We had achieved almost all parameters outlined in the research objective,” P.K. Mishra, head of the Department of Poultry Sciences, OUAT, told The Hindu here on Monday.

Prof. Mishra said: “The chicken breed, developed at OUAT firm, stood first in the country in performance testing at the Central Poultry Performance Testing Centre in Gurgaon. The demand was so high that we were not able to supply enough to the poultry farmers in the State.”

Sources said OUAT officials made desperate pleas to the Fisheries and Animal Research Development (FARD) department to spare the stock since the farm was on the borderline area within a three-km radius of the CPDO campus which was the epicentre of avian influenza. But the request was turned down.

“We did not have any mortality in the farm which indicated that our stock was unaffected in the bird flu outbreak,” Prof. Mishra said.

The CPDO had been maintaining a rare breed of poultry birds such as Rhode Island Red, quail and guinea fowl in its facility at Jaydev Vihar in the capital city.

The Kalinga Brown, the egg-laying breed developed by the CPDO here, was a top parent stock in the country with a huge demand.

Although two private farms were maintaining breeders' stocks in their facility in Cuttack and Dhenkanal district, those breeds were no match for the CPDO, OUAT stock.

The State government deployed 10 rapid response teams to carry out culling here. Surveillance teams went door to door in search of poultry birds to destroy them. A full-fledged culling operation outside research institutions will take place on Tuesday.   http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article2866601.ece

Bird flu scare spreads to Ganjam 42 birds of different species dead from H5N1? #H5N1 #BIRDFLU

Bird flu scare spreads to Ganjam as 16 crows found dead

29-Jan-2012 09:56:33 Berhampur (Odisha): With the death of 16 crows at Mudulipalli village in Odisha's Ganjam district in the span of two hours, triggering avian influenza scare in the area today. "We have found 16 dead crows in the village, samples of two were preserved to be sent for testing," Chief District Veterinary Officer (Ganjam), A K Swain said. Unconfirmed reports, however, put the crow death toll to 20 during the period. With the 16 crow deaths, a total of 42 birds of different species were found to be dead in the district. Veterinary officials had earlier detected dead crows, pigeons, kite and pelican in different parts of the district. Besides the samples of the dead crows, the samples of 353 poultry were also sent for testing, CDVO said. The CDVO, however, asserted the poultry sector in the district was so far unaffected with the spread. http://www.odishatoday.com/viewnews.php?news_id=2502

India-Bird flu alert in north AP #H5N1 #BIRDFLU

Bird flu alert in north AP

January 27, 2012

The district administrations of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam have issued a bird flu alert in the wake of avian influenza cases in Odisha.

The administrations of the three coastal districts have also appealed to the public, particularly poultry farmers and non-vegetarians, to take precaution. A senior Animal Husbandry Department officer said they have started making all possible efforts to stop migration of crows, parrots and cranes, besides poultry chicken, from Odisha.

The district administrations have asked the departments concerned, including Animal Husbandry, to report bird deaths. The departments have also been instructed to start culling infected birds, if needed, and bury them in pits with adequate safeguard.

Strict instructions were also issued to poultry farms in the region.

Three rapid response teams from Hyderabad would arrive here by month-end to spread awareness among people, particularly poultry farmers.  http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/hyderabad/bird-flu-alert-north-ap-302

Death of fowls spark off bird flu scare in Odisha #H5N1 #BIRDFLU

 

PTI | 04:01 PM,Jan 22,2012
Malkangiri (Odisha), Jan 22 (PTI) The death of a large number of birds at several places in this tribal district of Odisha has triggered a bird flu scare, especialy with villagers throwing carcasses in the open. Hundreds of dead birds including crows, storks, pigeons and mynahs were seen in many villages under Malkangiri and Korkunda blocks during the last week.
 "We just received a report about death of birds. A team of veterinarians rushed to the area to initiate remedial measures," chief district veterinary officer Rabi Narayan Behera said. Meanwhile, due to lack of awareness, fear stricken people threw carcasses in the open which were then devoured by stray dogs and other animals. "No step has been taken by the district administration to create awareness among the people on dealing with bird carcasses.
 Ignorant villagers throw them here and there, causing health hazards in the area," said village president of MV-20 Subash Banarjee. Another village leader, Paritosh Ray, said that people have been advised not to eat the fowls, even as poultry business in the area came to a standstill. A member of the state bird-flu team Rajesh Kumar Kuanr, now on a tour of the district, said they were yet to get proper information about the incident. "We will rush to the spot once we get the information from the concerned authorities," Kuanr said  http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/death-of-fowls-spark-off-bird-flu-scare-in-odisha/954144.html

Odisha: Bird flu scare grips Angul District #H5N1 #BIRDFLU

Thursday, January 19, 2012Report by Sangram Ranjan Nath, Angul: After the flu scare that started from Kerang of Khurda district, the people of the State are panicky when they witness death of crows and other birds in their areas. The death of 40 to 50 crows and a stork in, Angul scared the locals. The dead birds were found at madan mohan pada Angul , Pallahada, and talcher area. Besides, many crows on the branches of an old were found in a drooping state. Though crows and the stork were lying dead on the roads. First the district administration had not taken any steps to alert the people about flu and its effect on health of the people.But now they take it seriously. The presence of the virus has already been confirmed in angul district where presence of H5N1 has been confirmed. All the field functionaries have been intimated to report in case of any eventuality and instructed to collect samples for pathological examination and send the samples directly to ADRI Phulanakhara for pathological test. RRT has been formed and the Team is ready to face any untoward situation in face of the outbreak of Bird flu. Bird flu was confirmed in two samples of dead crow from Keranga in Khurda district and Angul after test at High Security Animal Disease Laboratory (HSADL) in Bhopal, a nodal officer in Fisheries and Animal Resource Development department said. As many as ten rapid response teams along with the district officials have been engaged in the operation, sources said.  http://orissadiary.com/CurrentNews.asp?id=31503

Odisha: Bird Flue Horror, ban on cock importing from neighboring state #H5N1 #BIRDFLU

Odisha: Bird Flue Horror, ban on cock importing from neighboring state

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Report by Prafull Sharma; Jharsuguda: Horror over bird flue outbreak has begun in the district. In view of this a District Level Officials Meeting held in the lobby of collectorate office. In meeting district’s chief veterinary doctor Affruddin Ahmed said that be care that cock is not came to our district from neighboring state of Chhattisgarh. For this at Gopalpur border post of the district special monitoring has been started & the cock to be invoked from Chhattisgarh has been banned.
By seeing the dead crow in the premises of Government Bungalow of Deputy Collector Pradip Barik in front of Municipal Office in Jharsuguda, Deputy Collector Barik has reported to CDVO A. Ahmed Khan. Later on veterinary doctor and team came to investigation. After the outbreak of bird flue in the district to review the growing horror in people a meeting was held in Collectorate office under the chairmanship of Collector Guru Prasad Mishra.

In order to take immune system against the bird flue be taken stated on all types of steps has been reviewed in detail. As well as it has been directed to start action immediately on the same. Chicken farms are also being monitoring. In meeting the needed on the vaccine, spraying of medicines etc was to be decided.  http://www.orissadiary.com/CurrentNews.asp?id=31422

Culling over in Odisha, 31,175 fowls killed #H5N1 #BIRDFLU

Culling over in Odisha, 31,175 fowls killed

Saturday, January 14, 2012, 23:20

  The culling of fowls in Keranga area of Khurda district in Odisha, where birdflu had been detected, ended with at least 31,175 poultry exterminated while reports of crow deaths poured in.
"The three-day culling operation in a three kilometer radius of Keranga is over. If more fowls are located later, culling may take place again," said Alok Das, an official in the fisheries and animal resource development (FARD) department here.


The culling operation started on January 12 as per the direction of the Centre after detection of avian influenza in two birds at Keranga village.

The operation took place within a three-km radius area of Keranga and precautionary steps were taken along the 10-km radius of the epicentre, Das said.

A total of 50 trained personnel comprising officials of FARD, forest and police undertook the culling operation, Das said adding people were cautioned not to open the ditches for a long time since the culled birds were buried there.

Of the 31,175 fowls culled, about 28,000 birds were from a private firm, sources said.

Meanwhile, officials said more cases of crow deaths, including some from the state capital, was received at the fisheries and animal resource development department.
Death of about 1263 crows was received from 12 districts, Das said.
Though certain serum samples of crows were sent to the laboratory for examination, the state government was yet to receive any confirmation regarding the cause of the deaths, he said.   http://zeenews.india.com/news/orissa/culling-over-in-odisha-31-175-fowls-killed_752653.html
http://www.samaylive.com/regional-news-in-hindi/other-states-news-in-hindi/138526/odisha-orissa-bhubaneswar-bird-flu-bird-killing.html

India-State to cull 35k birds in Keranga #H5N1 #BIRDFLU

State to cull 35k birds in Keranga

 TNN | Jan 11, 2012, 11.03PM
BHUBANESWAR: Around 35,000 poultry birds would soon be culled in Keranga area of Khurda district. The Odisha government decided this on Wednesday evening following confirmation of existence of bird flu virus in the area three days ago.

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik gave his nod in favour of culling of hens and ducks in 19 villages within three km radius of the epicentre of the dreaded disease basing upon an advisory from the Centre, official sources said. Though the government had resorted to culling in 2005, 2006 and 2008 in different parts of the state, bird flu was detected in the state for the first time in Keranga.

"We have ordered the Khurda district administration to begin culling with immediate effect," secretary, fisheries and animal resources development, Satyabrata Sahu said. "We have estimated that around 35,000 birds would be eliminated," he told TOI. He said rapid response teams have been formed and surveillance increased to overcome the challenges posed by bird flu.

Official sources said domesticated fowls as well as those living in a big poultry farm in Keranga would be killed. The government would compensate the bird owners at the following rates: Rs 70 for each layer bird (big size) and Rs 30 for each layer bird (small); Rs 60 for each broiler bird (big) and Rs 30 for each broiler bird (small); Rs 75 for each duck (big) and Rs 35 for duck (small); Rs two each for an egg and Rs six for each kg for bird feed.

The government also stopped movement of poultry products into Keranga, thus depriving schoolchildren of eggs under the Midday Meal Scheme there. Official sources said around 300 birds were reported dead in Keranga, spreading panic in the area. While the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory of Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bhopal, confirmed a sample each of hen and duck with H5N1 virus which causes bird flu or avian influenza on Sunday, the laboratory confirmed the virus in a crow sample on Wednesday, official sources added, adding, 562 samples of crows and poultry birds from across the state have been sent to Bhopal for tests.

With crows in hundreds being found dead in different parts of Odisha, including Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj districts, experts are at a loss on how to cope with the situation. Crows being wild birds can neither be vaccinated nor killed, but are capable of spreading the disease, an expert pointed out.

Agitated and panicked over the detection of bird flu, some people in Keranga damaged a part of a big farm housing around 20,000 poultry birds and also took away some fowls, police said.  http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/State-to-cull-35k-birds-in-Keranga/articleshow/11452512.cms

Odisha alerts Chilika & Bhitarkanika Park against bird flu

Jan 10, 2012
With bird flu scare gripping Khurda district, Odisha Government on Tuesday asked Chilika and Bhitarkanika National Park authorities to augment surveillance against the avian influenza, official sources said.

The wildlife officials of Chilika Lake have been specially asked to remain alert as the water body was located close to Keranga, the place from where the state's first bird flu virus (H5N1) had been detected, they said.

This apart, Chilika lagoon had this time attracted over 8.83 lakh of birds, mostly migratory ones. Similarly, at least 52,242 birds have also assembled at Bhitarkanika National Park sanctuary in Kendrapara district.

Meanwhile, a bird flu expert from neighbouring West Bengal visited Keranga area and held discussion with Khurda district officials on modalities of tackling the situation.

"We have prohibited movement of poultry within 10 km radius of Keranga from where two fowls tested positive to the H5N1 virus," Khurda District Collector Roopa Mishra told reporters, adding all steps were being taken to arrest spread of the avian influenza.

The state government has, meanwhile, trained about 200 officials on how to deal with the situation. At least four squads had been formed comprising live stock inspectors and other veterinary department officials, said Fisheries and Animal Development department Secretary Satyabrata Sahu.

Sahu, however, said that the government had no plan now to go for culling of poultry. "We require specific direction from the Centre before taking any decision regarding culling of birds," he said. Some more samples of dead fowls were sent to High Security Animal Disease Laboratory (HSADL), Bhopal after officials suspected bird flu in them, an official said.