Bird Flu Crisis: Delhi, Maharashtra Confirm Outbreak After Samples Of Dead Crows, Ducks Test Positive; 9 States Affected So Far

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will chair a meeting to review the situation in the state which is already battling Covid-19 pandemic.

New Delhi: Ducks at Sanjay Lake in New Delhi, Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021. Amid a bird flu scare, ten ducks were found dead in the lake today. PTI Photo/ Manvender Vashist)(PTI01_09_2021_000166B)

Bird Flu Outbreak: Maharashtra and Delhi are the latest additions to the growing list of states with outbreak of avian influenza or bird flu, prompting the respective state governments in action. Maharashtra:  In view of the gravity of the situation, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will chair a meeting to review the situation in the state already battling Covid-19 pandemic. As many as 800 chicken in a poultry farm of Parbhani district died three days ago, sparking bird flu scare in the district. District administration had sent blood samples of dead chickens to National Laboratory. Reports confirmed that the chickens died of bird flu. As per the Parbhani Ditsrict Collector, the following measures will be taken:

• All birds in poultry farms within a one-kilometer radius of Muramba village, will be culled.
• Sale purchase of birds within a 10-km radius is suspended.
• All people in the village are being tested for the virus & a medical team is present

Delhi: The Animal Hsubandry Department of Delhi has confirmed Bird flu in the national capital after testing eight samples from dead crows and ducks. All the samples tested positive for avian flu. 27 ducks were found dead at the Sanjay Lake in Delhi, prompting authorities to declare it an "alert zone". The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) closed the famous water body-cum-park following the death of 10 ducks on the premises. Besides, 91 crows have been found dead in 14 DDA parks in the last few days, officials said 9 states infected with bird flu so far: After the latest additions of Delhi and Maharashtra, the number of states with the confirmed cases of Bird Flu has now scaled up to nine. On Sunday, 7 states had confirmed cases, while Delhi and Mumbai awaited test results of the dead birds. .The outbreak has now been confirmed in Maharashtra, Delhi, Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. The samples collected from Chhattisgarh's Balod have tested negative for the avian influenza virus, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying said in a statement. The government has also directed zoo managements to submit daily reports to the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) till their area is declared free from the disease. The CZA, under the environment ministry, issued an office memorandum saying avian influenza is a scheduled disease under the Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Diseases in Animals Act, 2009, and reporting such a disease is obligatory for taking appropriate preventive measures against its spread. Also check out the following podcast on bird flu crisis: