Bird flu: Samples to be collected in Chandigarh, 5 geese die

The authorities here today decided to collect samples of poultry at random from the city, even as samples of three persons who were admitted to hospital here with flu-like symptoms have turned out to be negative.
Meanwhile, five geese died in a pond at village Bhambri of Fatehgarh Sahib district under mysterious circumstances, officials said.
Animal Husbandry department collected the samples and sent it to Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (RDDL), Jalandhar to test the samples for the deadly H5N1 virus.
Dr J S Bhatia, Deputy Director, Animal Husbandry Department confirmed that samples have sent to RDDL Jalandhar.
In Chandigarh, samples were today collected around the Sukhna lake.

"Today, we collected samples from poultry farms located in the close vicinity of the Sukhna lake. The places from where the samples were lifted included Bhagwanpura and Kishangarh villages.

"We also held meetings with some village heads to create awareness and explained them the precautionary measures they need to take," Sub Divisional Magistrate (Central) Prince Dhawan, who is UT's Nodal officer dealing with the avian flu, said.
"Soon, we will expand this exercise to the entire city and take samples at random from different poultry farms here," he said.
Dhawan said that meetings were held today between officials of the Chandigarh administration and Punjab and Haryana governments in view of the bird flu scare.

The tests of three patients, who were admitted to hospitals here with flu-like symptoms, have turned out to be negative, said Lovelesh Kant Gupta, Joint Director of Chandigarh Animal Husbandary department.
Chandigarh administration has also been conducting door-to-door survey in the localities close to the lake as a precautionary measure, officials said.
The authorities at various zoos and wetlands across Punjab and Haryana have intensified monitoring and surveillance of the birds.