Bird Flu Outbreak in Jharkhand: 2 doctors, 4 farm staff test negative for virus

Ranchi: Amidst an outbreak of bird flu in Ranchi, two doctors and four staff members from the Regional Poultry Farm in Hotwar tested negative for the infection, the officials said. 

Two doctors and six staff members of the Regional Poultry Farm in Hotwar were quarantined for two days at the JSIA building in Ranchi.

According to officials, the JSIA government building has been turned into a bird flu ward. A team of medical experts from Ranchi have taken the samples of infected people, news agency ANI reported.

Almost all cases of H5N1 infection in people have been associated with close contact with infected live or dead birds or H5N1-contaminated environments.

Ranchi Deputy Commissioner Rahul Kumar Sinha told ANI, "Bird Flu has been confirmed in Ranchi. As soon as bird flu was confirmed, a series of actions take place under the guidelines mentioned in the Ministry of Animal Husbandry. The first action is a total ban on the sale and purchase of all birds in one kilometre radius of the epicentre."

Further, the official said, "A survey of all the birds is also conducted in the region. A machinery of the district has also been deployed for the containment of the bird flu. The District Animal Husbandry Office, Municipal Corporation, Police and Magistrate have formed a rapid response team.""

In this context, advisories have been issued in newspapers, additionally, the administration will ensure the application of all kinds of precautionary measures in the region for containment of Bird Flu," he said. The Animal Husbandry Directorate, Ranchi, has formed a Rapid Response Team (RRT) for the culling of poultry and cleaning and disinfection of infected areas after H5N1 Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) was detected in the poultry area, Hotwa.

The RRT team will work to disinfect the area within one kilometre of epicentre in the poultry area, Hotwa.

Meat technologist at the Regional Poultry Farm, Dr Santosh Kumar, told ANI, "In the one km radius, all chickens and eggs will be disposed of. We will tell all farmers and shopkeepers not to bring any outside poultry. Until we do not receive a negative report, we will ask them not to farm chicken."

On the orders of the District Collector, about 1745 chickens, 450 ducks and 1697 eggs have been disposed off.

H5N1 stands for Highly Pathogenic Asian Avian Influenza (H5N1) Virus. Avian influenza is a strain of the influenza virus that primarily infects birds, but can also infect humans. This type of flu is most often contracted by contact with sick birds. It can also be passed from person to person. Almost all cases of H5N1 infection in people have been associated with close contact with infected live or dead birds or H5N1-contaminated environments.