Centre Issues Advisory After 9 States Report Bird Flu Cases, Inspection Ordered In Poultry Farms

In an advisory issued on March 7, the Centre urged all states to urgently implement the measures outlined in the National Action Plan for Avian Influenza and assured necessary technical support.

The central government has issued an advisory on the bird flu or H5N1 virus after nine states, including Punjab and Jharkhand, reported bird flu outbreaks since January. The advisory, issued on March 7, directs all states and Union Territory (UT) administrations to increase surveillance in high-risk areas like poultry farms and bird markets.

In an advisory issued on March 7, the Centre urged all states to urgently implement the measures outlined in the National Action Plan for Avian Influenza and assured  necessary technical support.

"Surveillance must be intensified in high-risk areas, including live bird markets, migratory bird habitats, and dense poultry zones. States are requested to strictly adhere to the National Action Plan for Avian Influenza (Revised 2021), activate rapid response teams, and strengthen veterinary and laboratory capacities," read the advisory by the Central Government’s Dairy and Animal Husbandry Department.

Bird Flu Outbreak Reported In Jharkhand's Bokaro 

The centre's notification comes after a bird flu outbreak was reported in Jharkhand's Bokaro, almost a month after the disease led to the culling of 5,500 birds in Ranchi. 

The outbreak is said to have been caused by the H5N1 strain of avian influenza, and was officially confirmed on March 7, when the central government issued a letter to the chief secretary of Jharkhand, PTI reported.

The outbreak originated at a government poultry farm in Bokaro's Sector 12, where around 250 birds have already died. 

On Saturday, the Bokaro administration culled 46 birds and destroyed 506 eggs after the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying directed Jharkhand to take all measures to tackle the spread of bird flu. The state was also asked to declare infected and surveillance areas and restrict access to the affected premises.

The ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) in Bhopal confirmed the presence of H5N1 on March 7.

In its directive, the Centre also confirmed the spread inside government-owned poultry establishments and expressed concern over biosecurity lapses. "The infection in government farms indicates potential weaknesses in containment measures, necessitating urgent corrective actions...It is imperative that biosecurity audits of all government poultry farms are conducted at the earliest, and gaps are immediately addressed," the Centre said.

Telangana also reported an outbreak, where the death of 3,500 country chickens has impacted the livelihoods of several farmers. The state had banned poultry imports from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh after an outbreak was reported in the East Godavari district.