Devyani Goswami, Amity University Kolkata
Avian influenza, commonly known as Influenza A or bird flu is a viral infection that commonly infects birds. However, it is communicable and can affect other animals and human beings too. The last bird flu outbreak in India was on 30th September 2020, after which the country was declared to be flu-free. This current outbreak is the first outbreak after that. The Central Government of India declared this Wednesday that the bird flu outbreak had been reported at 12 epicenters across four states of the country; Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh.
The Central Government of Kerala notified the outbreak of the H5N8 subtype of Influenza A. Influenza A can transmit from person to person, although it is adapted to live in birds. The common symptoms of bird flu for the H5N8 are fever, chills, headache, coughing, weakness, and conjunctivitis. Especially, Haryana is on high alert because of the unexplained deaths at poultry farms in Panchkula, a district in Haryana.
Further, as many as 150 crows have been found dead in the Udhampur district of Jammu on the 7th of January. The reason for the death of these birds has not been detected yet. Animal husbandry officials suspect that they have died due to cold waves, but not to take any risks, they are testing the samples to be sure if bird flu is the cause. The Union fisheries, animal husbandry, and dairying ministry said on Wednesday that advisories have been issued to contain further spread of the infection in poultry ducks, crows, and migratory birds.
Various steps are being taken to stop the transmission of the virus. The biosecurity of poultry farms is being strengthened. Measures such as disinfecting the affected areas, properly disposing of dead birds, timely collecting and submitting samples for confirmation, and further surveillance are also being followed. Bird meat can also be banned from these states. These general guidelines will be followed for the prevention of disease spread from affected birds to other poultry animals and human beings until the situation is brought under control.
Any suspicious case or information regarding this issue should be directly reported to the Central Government of India, Union Ministry of Health and Disease Control.
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REFERENCE:
1) Bird flu outbreak in four states, Centre issues advisory to contain spread https://indianexpress.com/article/india/bird-flu-india-rajasthan-kerala-7135498/
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