Centre asks Odisha to take steps to check spread of bird flu

The Centre has directed the Odisha government to take immediate steps to control and contain spread of bird flu virus from the epicentre of Keranga village which is about 35 km from Bhubaneswar.
The samples of some dead crows and chicken in Keranga village have been tested positive for the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza virus.
"State was intimated of the positive results on December 25. The state was requested to carry out the control and containment operations," an official statement said.
The state has been asked to complete the necessary actions immediately. It has asked to cull birds and dispose of dead birds and infected materials as well as restrict access to the infected premises, it added.

In addition to culling, the Odisha government has been asked to carry out surveillance over a radius of 10 km from the epicentre. It has also been told to intensify the surveillance to monitor further spread of infection.