Health Ministry deploys teams to bird flu affected areas in Kerala, Haryana

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has deployed multi-disciplinary teams to help contain bird flu

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has deployed multi-disciplinary teams to Avian influenza affected Alappuzha and Kottayam districts in Kerala, and Panchkula District, Haryana, to help with the implementation of government containment plan, the Government of India said on Wednesday.

According to an official release, the Department of Animal Husbandry on January 4 notified detection of Avian Influenza (H5N8) in samples of dead ducks from Alappuzha and Kottayam districts in Kerala. A similar report of Avian Influenza has also been received from poultry samples from Panchkula District of Haryana, the release said.

"The two multi-disciplinary teams comprising of experts from National Center for Disease Control, National Institute of Virology, PGIMER, Chandigarh, Dr RML Hospital, New Delhi and Lady Hardinge Medical College. New Delhi has been deployed to the affected districts by Health Ministry on January 4 to assist the State Health Departments in implementation government's Avian Influenza containment plan," the release further said.

Additionally, a high-level team comprising Director, NCDC and Joint Secretary & COVID-19 nodal officer, Ministry of Food Processing Industries has been deployed to Kerala today to oversee the implementation of Avian Influenza containment operations and guide State Health Departments in mounting appropriate public health interventions for the same.

In addition, this high-level team will also review the COVID-19 situation in the State, the ministry said.

Similar reports of avian influenza have also been reported from Jhalawar, Rajasthan and Bhind, Madhya Pradesh involving crows and migratory birds. Department of Animal Husbandry as per laid down protocol has issued alerts to further intensify surveillance to detect any case in poultry birds, the release said.

It further said so far, no human case of Avian Influenza has been reported. Ministry of Health & Family Welfare continues to keep a strict watch over the evolving scenario.