The Department of Animal Husbandry in the Maharashtra Government has been placed on maximum alert in view of the rising cases of avian flu in the bird population. The migratory bird site near Ujani dam in Solapur district is being monitored, said Anoop Kumar, Principal Secretary in the Department.
Kumar told BusinessLine that some migratory bird site near Ujani dam come from far off locations, therefore the surveillance has been enhanced. In the event of any large scale death of birds, the Department of Animal Husbandry will receive the alert immediately.
Reports from the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal said that death of rows in Jahalawar, Rajasthan were due to H5N8 strain of Avain flu, which is not a threat to human. But deaths of Siberian and Mongolian cranes in Pong dam area of Himachal Pradesh was due to H1N1 strain, is serious. The Department is on a high alert mode and waiting for the advisory, he said.
He added that if in the event of any kind of death of birds, the Department is fully prepared. Its Diseases Investigation Services unit is already carrying out analysis of the throat swabs and faecal matter of birds. But no outbreak has yet been reported in the state, Kumar reiterated.
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