Bird flu scare: Rai writes to UP, Hry, Raj to step up vigil

In the wake of bird flu scare in the national capital, Delhi Animal Husbandry Minister Gopal Rai today wrote to his counterparts in Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh requesting them to closely monitor bird sanctuaries and poultry farms as most of the migratory birds enter the national capital through the neighbouring states.
H5N8 avian influenza has claimed lives of three migratory birds at Delhi zoo here. So far, 24 birds have died at different places in the national capital.
"The Animal Husbandry unit of Delhi government is taking appropriate action in this regard. However, it is observed that there is continuous movement of migratory birds from some areas of Haryana/Uttar Pradesh/Rajasthan, which are adjacent to Delhi.

"I would therefor request you to kindly sensitize the concerned authorities about these incidence and issue necessary instructions for keeping surveillance and monitoring," Rai said in his letter sent to Animal Husbandry Departments of Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
Earlier in the day, Rai ruled out any threat to human beings due to the bird flu or avian influenza as the strain of the virus is "less infective".
H5N8 virus were found in the samples of three of the eight birds which had recently died at Delhi zoo, and not the H5N1 virus, which are more "infective and dangerous" and "may affect humans".