Orissa mounts guard against virus entry

Express News Service

First Published : 20 Dec 2008 10:28:00 AM IST

Last Updated : 20 Dec 2008 01:36:13 PM IST

BHUBANESWAR: With West Bengal in a tizzy over the reappearance of the avian influenza eight months after it went in for a massive culling exercise, Orissa has once again been forced to mount guard against entry of this deadly virus through the borders. The Government Friday said it has stocked up 20,000 personal protective equipment (PPE) kits for its personnel if culling becomes inevitable.

While the Department of Animal Resources Development has already imposed the prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC at all entry points of the eight bordering districts, a watch is being maintained on poultry farms as well as backyard producers of the birds.

On Thursday, the police and veterinary squads detected 1,200 chicks imported from West Bengal and culled them. Similarly, another 2,000 chicks were seized at Laxmananath a day before being culled.

At least 102 entry points have so far been identified by the ARD Department across these districts where its field staff have been pressed into service. ‘‘We have deployed 116 rapid reaction teams which currently are carrying out vaccination as well as surveillance in the eight districts. If a need arises for culling, the teams would be placed in action,’’ a senior official said.

Currently, the Department is busy vaccinating the birds across the farms and backyard producing units. As yet, 9,69,200 units of R2B vaccine, used against Ranikhet disease, have been stocked up.

Serum samples for virus testing are being collected by the Animal Diseases Research Institute (ADRI) simultaneously to ascertain the current status. So already sent at least 947 bird serum samples to Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Kolkata and another 50 to the Highrisk Security Animal Diseases Laboratory, Bhopal to confirm if the birds here are carrying the virus.

Similarly, intense IEC activities have begun with distribution of literature concerning the disease and how to guard against it in the bordering districts besides issuing guidelines to the Chief District Veterinary Officers (CDVOs) on bio-security measures to be adopted by farm owners as well as sellers.

The Government too has directed the Forest Department to keep vigilance over the major water bodies that attract migratory birds and collect blood samples for testing from time to time.