4 December, 2008
Following an outbreak of bird flu (H5N1) in neighbouring Assam’s Kamrup district on November 27, the department of livestock has banned the import of eggs and frozen chicken from Assam and West Bengal states.
Import of eggs and frozen chicken from identified sources in India are allowed only through the Phuentsholing gate. A news release from the department of livestock said that movement of poultry ad poultry products, including animal feed from Phuentsholing, to the eastern dzongkhags sharing a border with Assam would be allowed only through the lateral highway.
Import permits for day-old-chicks (for breeding), which have already been issued for import via Guwahati, was immediately revoked to prevent the disease from entering Bhutan. “We won’t place a blanket ban on all poultry imports, but we want to caution people by being selective,” said the chief livestock officer, Dr Karma Tenzin. “We request people to cook chicken at 70 degree Celsius for at least five minutes to be on the safe side,” he said.
Meanwhile, the department has reactivated the veterinary vigilance team (VVT) for clinical and laboratory surveillance along the southern border dzongkhags, especially in Samdrup Jongkhar and Sarpang.
Appropriate regulatory and quarantine activities, such as disinfection of vehicles and high risk goods, has resumed at all entry points as a precautionary measure. Poultry feed from Samrat feed mills in Siliguri would be allowed only if it were transported through the lateral route.
Sonam dechen
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