Bird Flu Scare: ADRI team to visit Chilika Lake, culling of birds ordered by Odisha Govt

Bhubaneswar, Dec 13: With some crows found dead in Siala forest area under Chilika-Nuapada range and near Alandapatna area of Krushnaprasad block in Puri district recently, an expert team of the Animal Disease Research Institute (ADRI) will visit Chilika Lake on Thursday to ascertain whether migratory birds that have started flocking the lake have Influenza A (H1N1) virus even as the State government ordered culling of chickens in four villages located near the Chilika lake in Puri district following detection of the H5N1 virus in samples of poultry birds and crows.

A joint team of Forest and Veterinary officials had gone to Nalabana in the lake and collected stool samples of about 150 migratory birds, hens and ducks from the lake side villages and sent 308 samples to the ADRI.

If H1N1 virus is found in these samples, these will then be sent to Bhopal for a thorough test.

            “Bird culling within a radius of 1 km from the affected area has been suggested to the collector of Puri. The culling will start on Friday,” Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Secretary Vishal Gagan said.

            A ban has also been imposed on the sale and transportation of poultry products within a radius of 10 km from the affected areas, Collector of Puri J P Das said.

            The collector said he has issued orders to stop supply of eggs for mid-day meals in schools and anganwadi centres. At least eight teams have been formed for undertaking the culling operation in the affected areas.

            An outbreak of bird flu is suspected in Puri after 20,000 hens and crows died in the Krushnaprasad block of the district.

            However, the CDVO said: “There has been no indication of bird flu in the Chilika lake area so far.”