The Imphal Free Press
IMPHAL, Jul 25: Outbreak of avian influenza (bird flu), in Manipur has been confirmed, with samples from a private farm at Chingmeirong where mass death of chickens had occurred in the second week of this month testing positive for the H5 strain of avian influenza.
Following intimation in this regard from the department of animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries of the Union ministry of agriculture, the state government has ordered culling of all domesticated birds within a radius of 5 km from the infected site, apart from taking a slew of other measures to contain the outbreak.
Officials have however cautioned that unlike the highly pathogenic H5NI strain, the H5 strain has less potential for transmission to humans, hence there is no need for panic among the population.
Officials also noted that the outbreak at the Chingmeirong farm appears to be an isolated one with no reports coming from other parts of the state.
This is the third confirmed outbreak of avian influenza in India, after two outbreaks reported in the western part of the country last year. One outbreak had been reported in the neighbouring country of Myanmar in February this year.
It may be mentioned, following mass deaths of chickens at a poultry farm located at Chingmeirong in the second week of this month, blood samples from the birds were sent to High Security Animal Disease Laboratory, Bhopal and to the National Institute of Virology, Pune, for testing.
After a letter from the secretary, department of animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries of the Union ministry of agriculture arrived today, confirming the presence of H5 strain of avian influenza, a high level meeting, chaired by chief minister O Ibobi Singh was convened this afternoon, and decided to immediately implement necessary measures under the action plan drawn up to contain and control avian influenza.
As per a notification circulated by the state chief secretary, Jarnail Singh, these measures will include:
? Ban on movement of poultry and poultry products in the infected areas.
? Closure of poultry and egg markets and shops within 10 km of the infected site.
? Ban on movement of poultry farm personnel.
? Restricting access to the infected premises.
? Clean-up and disinfection followed by sealing of the premises.
? Post operation surveillance, etc.
As per the decision of the high-powered committee, culling of domesticated birds will be done within a radius of 5 km of the infected farm starting from tomorrow. In addition, surveillance will be carried out within a radius of 5-10 km.
It was also decided that the government will compensate poultry owners for the destruction of birds. Compensation is to be paid immediately at the rate of Rs. 10 per chick, Rs. 40 for layers and Rs 30 for broilers.
The secretary, veterinary, and secretary, health, have been directed to send daily reports on control and containment operations to the deaprtment of animal husbandry, dairy and fisheries, government of India. A control room on implementation of action plan and contingency plan is to be maintained.
Primary responsibility for implementation and containment procedures will rest with the district administration headed by the DC, with technical assistance of the veterinary, health and forest departments, according to the chief secretary`s notification.
In the meantime, according to official sources, the H5 strain of avian influenza has less potential for spreading to humans.
None of the farm workers and family members at the Chingmeirong poultry farm have shown symptoms of avian influenza, despite repeated surveillance and medical examination by state health department doctors.
At least 20 people living on the farm were taking Tamiflu, the most popular drug for treating bird flu, as well as six veterinary workers as a matter of abundant precaution, sources indicated.
Officials also said a rapid tesponse team from the Centre will arrive in the state tomorrow, and will participate in culling of birds with the assistance of rapid response teams from the state veterinary and health departments. The sources also indicated that staff of PWD will be roped in culling and disposal of birds.
Health department sources added that 40 RRTs, including 20 standby RRTs have been put in place for household survey and necessary medical examination of suspected cases. The RRTs, comprising of one medical officer assisted by three health supervisor and 30 health workers will cover the areas within 10 km radius of reported incidence of avian influenza.
The department has already stocked adequate quantities of Tamiflu (Oseltamivir) tablets, personal protection equipment and N-95 specification masks to cater to the requirement for attending to any incidence of human infection, the sources indicated.
It may be mentioned, a 10-bedded isolated ward has already been set up at JN hospital in Imphal for the treatment of patients with symptoms similar to Avian Influenza (bird flu).
IMPHAL, Jul 25: Outbreak of avian influenza (bird flu), in Manipur has been confirmed, with samples from a private farm at Chingmeirong where mass death of chickens had occurred in the second week of this month testing positive for the H5 strain of avian influenza.
Following intimation in this regard from the department of animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries of the Union ministry of agriculture, the state government has ordered culling of all domesticated birds within a radius of 5 km from the infected site, apart from taking a slew of other measures to contain the outbreak.
Officials have however cautioned that unlike the highly pathogenic H5NI strain, the H5 strain has less potential for transmission to humans, hence there is no need for panic among the population.
Officials also noted that the outbreak at the Chingmeirong farm appears to be an isolated one with no reports coming from other parts of the state.
This is the third confirmed outbreak of avian influenza in India, after two outbreaks reported in the western part of the country last year. One outbreak had been reported in the neighbouring country of Myanmar in February this year.
It may be mentioned, following mass deaths of chickens at a poultry farm located at Chingmeirong in the second week of this month, blood samples from the birds were sent to High Security Animal Disease Laboratory, Bhopal and to the National Institute of Virology, Pune, for testing.
After a letter from the secretary, department of animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries of the Union ministry of agriculture arrived today, confirming the presence of H5 strain of avian influenza, a high level meeting, chaired by chief minister O Ibobi Singh was convened this afternoon, and decided to immediately implement necessary measures under the action plan drawn up to contain and control avian influenza.
As per a notification circulated by the state chief secretary, Jarnail Singh, these measures will include:
? Ban on movement of poultry and poultry products in the infected areas.
? Closure of poultry and egg markets and shops within 10 km of the infected site.
? Ban on movement of poultry farm personnel.
? Restricting access to the infected premises.
? Clean-up and disinfection followed by sealing of the premises.
? Post operation surveillance, etc.
As per the decision of the high-powered committee, culling of domesticated birds will be done within a radius of 5 km of the infected farm starting from tomorrow. In addition, surveillance will be carried out within a radius of 5-10 km.
It was also decided that the government will compensate poultry owners for the destruction of birds. Compensation is to be paid immediately at the rate of Rs. 10 per chick, Rs. 40 for layers and Rs 30 for broilers.
The secretary, veterinary, and secretary, health, have been directed to send daily reports on control and containment operations to the deaprtment of animal husbandry, dairy and fisheries, government of India. A control room on implementation of action plan and contingency plan is to be maintained.
Primary responsibility for implementation and containment procedures will rest with the district administration headed by the DC, with technical assistance of the veterinary, health and forest departments, according to the chief secretary`s notification.
In the meantime, according to official sources, the H5 strain of avian influenza has less potential for spreading to humans.
None of the farm workers and family members at the Chingmeirong poultry farm have shown symptoms of avian influenza, despite repeated surveillance and medical examination by state health department doctors.
At least 20 people living on the farm were taking Tamiflu, the most popular drug for treating bird flu, as well as six veterinary workers as a matter of abundant precaution, sources indicated.
Officials also said a rapid tesponse team from the Centre will arrive in the state tomorrow, and will participate in culling of birds with the assistance of rapid response teams from the state veterinary and health departments. The sources also indicated that staff of PWD will be roped in culling and disposal of birds.
Health department sources added that 40 RRTs, including 20 standby RRTs have been put in place for household survey and necessary medical examination of suspected cases. The RRTs, comprising of one medical officer assisted by three health supervisor and 30 health workers will cover the areas within 10 km radius of reported incidence of avian influenza.
The department has already stocked adequate quantities of Tamiflu (Oseltamivir) tablets, personal protection equipment and N-95 specification masks to cater to the requirement for attending to any incidence of human infection, the sources indicated.
It may be mentioned, a 10-bedded isolated ward has already been set up at JN hospital in Imphal for the treatment of patients with symptoms similar to Avian Influenza (bird flu).
--------------------------------------
Govt confirms bird flu outbreak in Manipur
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi: The deadly bird flu virus H5N1 is back in India. The outbreak has been reported from Chingmeirong village of Eastern Imphal district in Manipur, two kms from capital Imphal, where 132 chicken out of 144 died over a period of six days starting July 7.
Pending test results, the remaining birds in the infected farm were culled and the unit was fully disinfected, Union government said. State government has started control and containment operations in rest of the area. Over 1.5 lakh birds and backyard poultry, from 120 small units within a five-km radius of the infected farm, will be culled in the next 10 days.
Over 20 people, who were handling the infected poultry before the birds died, have been quarantined and put under prophylactic cover. They, and six veterinary workers, have been administered Tamiflu, the most popular drug for treating bird flu. They have, however, not shown any respiratory distress so far.
132 chicken died within six days, when unusual mortality was reported on July 7, for the first time. By July 12, the state government informed the Union animal husbandry department. Samples were then picked up and sent for testing to Bhopal’s High Security Animal Disease Laboratory where they tested positive for bird flu. The health ministry has set up 40 medical teams of 34 members each in the state. From Friday, they will start house-to-house surveillance of people living within a three-km radius of the infected farm. Then, the radius will be increased to 10 km.
The Manipur government, which has sounded an alert in the state, has created a special 10-bed ward at JN Hospital in Imphal for patients with symptoms similar to avian influenza.
The ministry hopes to cover 80,000 households with a population of 4.5 lakh people. The team will check if anybody is showing symptoms like cough and cold. Two portable ventilators are being sent to Manipur as a precautionary measure.
India has been free of bird flu since August 2006 after two major outbreaks among chicken were recorded from Maharashtra and Gujarat in early 2006.
BSF has been ordered to stop people from bringing in poultry illegally from Bangladesh, China and Myanmar, which have recorded bird flu outbreaks this year. China has even recorded human infections and deaths of people by the virus. An official said, ‘‘The H5N1 virus must have travelled from Myanmar and Bangladesh where there has been a bird flu outbreak from early March.’’
Agriculture minister Sharad Pawar briefed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the outbreak on Wednesday.
‘‘The affected farm is very small and there is no sign that the virus could have spread. That’s why we are culling birds only in the five-km radius. All the farms within this area are equally small with just 200-250 birds in each unit,’’ Upma Chawdhry, joint secretary in the Union animal husbandry department, told TOI.
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi: The deadly bird flu virus H5N1 is back in India. The outbreak has been reported from Chingmeirong village of Eastern Imphal district in Manipur, two kms from capital Imphal, where 132 chicken out of 144 died over a period of six days starting July 7.
Pending test results, the remaining birds in the infected farm were culled and the unit was fully disinfected, Union government said. State government has started control and containment operations in rest of the area. Over 1.5 lakh birds and backyard poultry, from 120 small units within a five-km radius of the infected farm, will be culled in the next 10 days.
Over 20 people, who were handling the infected poultry before the birds died, have been quarantined and put under prophylactic cover. They, and six veterinary workers, have been administered Tamiflu, the most popular drug for treating bird flu. They have, however, not shown any respiratory distress so far.
132 chicken died within six days, when unusual mortality was reported on July 7, for the first time. By July 12, the state government informed the Union animal husbandry department. Samples were then picked up and sent for testing to Bhopal’s High Security Animal Disease Laboratory where they tested positive for bird flu. The health ministry has set up 40 medical teams of 34 members each in the state. From Friday, they will start house-to-house surveillance of people living within a three-km radius of the infected farm. Then, the radius will be increased to 10 km.
The Manipur government, which has sounded an alert in the state, has created a special 10-bed ward at JN Hospital in Imphal for patients with symptoms similar to avian influenza.
The ministry hopes to cover 80,000 households with a population of 4.5 lakh people. The team will check if anybody is showing symptoms like cough and cold. Two portable ventilators are being sent to Manipur as a precautionary measure.
India has been free of bird flu since August 2006 after two major outbreaks among chicken were recorded from Maharashtra and Gujarat in early 2006.
BSF has been ordered to stop people from bringing in poultry illegally from Bangladesh, China and Myanmar, which have recorded bird flu outbreaks this year. China has even recorded human infections and deaths of people by the virus. An official said, ‘‘The H5N1 virus must have travelled from Myanmar and Bangladesh where there has been a bird flu outbreak from early March.’’
Agriculture minister Sharad Pawar briefed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the outbreak on Wednesday.
‘‘The affected farm is very small and there is no sign that the virus could have spread. That’s why we are culling birds only in the five-km radius. All the farms within this area are equally small with just 200-250 birds in each unit,’’ Upma Chawdhry, joint secretary in the Union animal husbandry department, told TOI.
No comments:
Post a Comment