No bird flu scare in UP, says government

There is no bird flu scare in Uttar Pradesh and the state government was taking all precautionary measures in this regard, a top official said today.
"There is no Bird Flu scare in Uttar Pradesh. All the necessary precautionary measures were taken in seven villages of Amethi, where it has been contained and 833 birds including hens, pigeons were culled and their cages disinfected", Director, Horticulture, Dr Rudra Pratap told PTI.
The government is also ensuring surveillance and adoption of scientific measures in those areas of Amethi where the birds were culled yesterday to contain the spread of the flu, if any, he said.

Dismissing the reports of the H5N1 virus spreading in Barabanki district as "false information", Pratap said, "there is no report of bird flu spread from anywhere in the state."
"As per the policies of state government for encouragement of poultry and its products, import of eggs and other items worth crores was stopped from other states. This might be the reason for such false information," he said.
Embattled with swine flu, Uttar Pradesh government had on March 15 sounded bird flu alert following the outbreak of avian influenza in Amethi.
Chief Secretary Alok Rajan has directed all divisional commissioners and district magistrates to initiate preventive measures in their areas to minimise possible adverse effects of bird flu.

This followed a warning by an expert team that confirmed a "highly pathogenic avian influenza" outbreak in Amethi, where 350 birds, chicken and ducks died of a mystery disease on March 6 and 7 in the villages of Chandgarh and Sare Ka Purwa in Bazaar Shukul block of the district.