State to take up post-operative surveillance to check bird flu

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG

: The Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department (AHVD) will conduct post-operative surveillance on fowls in areas from three to ten kilometers of Meghalaya's side of Khanapara on December 29 to collect samples to see if bird flu has spread to local poultry from Assam.

According to AHVD Director Dr Daurupathan Khonglah, the exercise is required in view of the recent culling operations conducted by Assam in areas on the inter-state border. "Post-operative surveillance will be done to collect samples from local poultry and check if there is any difference between them and the samples we had collected earlier," he said.

Dr Khonglah said there was no report of bird flu among local poultry and that people could consume them without any fear. He, however, said the ban on import of poultry would continue till further orders.