Nepal- Bird flu outbreak springs from govt closet

2010-12-14 12:49 AM

TIKA R PRADHAN

KATHMANDU: Government authorities are found to have kept the public in the dark about a bird flu outbreak in a poultry farm in Narayangarh, Chitwan.

Two days after the chickens at Nawaganga Poultry Farm in Mangalpur-3 showed symptoms of the disease, rapid test had revealed H5N1 avian influenza virus on October 27. The symptoms were confirmed by real time Polymerase Chain Reaction in a central veterinary laboratory on October 28. The sample was tested positive in Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA), in the United Kingdom on November 19.

However, the public was not informed about the disease.

Once the bird flu is spotted, there is a mandatory provision that the government has to inform the general public via a press conference. The council of ministers has to declare the cases.

Sources claimed that the Cabinet had refused to declare the outbreak even after it was informed about it in October-end.

Dr Ram Krishna Khatiwada, programme director, Directorate of Animal Health, in his capacity as the communication officer from Nepal to World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), reported the case to the OIE only on December 12. Around 11,500 poultry were destroyed by the government agency at the poultry farm during this recent outbreak.

Last year also, the government had refused to disclose information about bird flu outbreak in different parts of the country. The government was forced to disclose the outbreak a month later after THT informed the public about the possible danger.

Experts say this is a breach of Standard Operation Protocol on the part of the government and negligence in protecting human health. “Avian influenza is a deadly disease, which quickly spreads from birds to human population,” said Dr Sital Kaji Shrestha, secretary of Nepal Veterinary Association.

Dr Khatiwada confirmed the outbreak, but added it was the ministry’s responsibility to inform the public. “We have informed the OIE after containing the disease and now Nepal holds avian influenza free status,” he said.