Punjab monitoring Chandigarh bird flu situation

The Punjab government was closely monitoring the bird flu situation in Chandigarh's Sukhna lake and officials have been directed to take all precautionary measures to check the outbreak of the disease, a minister said Thursday.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Surjit Kumar Jayani Thursday directed health department officials to take immediate precautionary measures to check the outbreak of the dreaded H5N1 avian influenza.

He said that as a precautionary measure, poultry products entering Punjab from Chandigarh would be checked at all entry points.

"Teams of medical officers from Mohali have been deputed to conduct a survey in the adjoining areas of Punjab around Chandigarh, especially in Kansal and Naya Gaon. They have been asked to check the habitats, which are close to Chandigarh, especially in those villages touching the boundary of Sukhna lake," Jayani said, while expressing concern over a confirmed case of avian flu in Chandigarh.

Chandigarh's famous Sukhna lake was cordoned off Thursday after the sample of a dead goose tested positive for H5N1.

Over 30 geese and ducks at the lake died under mysterious circumstances in recent days. The Sukhna lake has nearly 250 waterfowl, which are a star attraction for visitors.

The presence of H5N1 was Wednesday confirmed in the sample of a dead goose by the Bhopal-based National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD).

Jayani directed civil surgeons in Punjab, especially in districts around Chandigarh, to be ready with the required health infrastructure and create special isolation wards in government hospitals to deal with any situation of outbreak of bird flu.