Bird Flu panic mounts people in Delhi, Gwalior after death of 39 birds

New Delhi: Bird flu has taken a toll on several parts of the country including Delhi and Gwalior. In Delhi, 24 birds have died so far and 15 have lost their lives in Gwalior. After these deaths, it is being suspected that the virus could kill humans as well. Amid the death of around 15 painted storks in Gwalior zoo in the last three days, the authorities today shut down the park and sent a couple of samples for bird flu virus tests. The Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, the Union Agriculture Ministry, has issued the necessary guidelines to the state government and the zoo authorities on control and containment of the infection, and has urged the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change to issue advisories to all the wildlife/ bird sanctuaries in the country to be on alert and take necessary actions for prevention of the disease. The guidelines came in the wake of the National Institute for High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal, confirming that the samples of wild birds died at National Zoological Park (NZP) in Delhi were tested positive for H5 Avian influenza virus. These samples were earlier tested positive for Influenza A virus at the Northern Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (NRDDL), Jalandhar. After a bird flu scare at Delhi zoo and deer park in the national capital, the authorities in Gwalior are not taking any chances. The National Zoological Park in Delhi has been shut down temporarily amid a bird flu scare following the death of some fowls recently. The Delhi government also shut down the famous Hauz Khas Deer Park and appealed the people not to touch any dead birds and instead call its helpline number. While the H5N1 virus can infect people, no human bird flu case has ever been recorded in India despite several outbreaks among birds.