Bird flu surveillance stepped up after outbreak in West Bengal

With winter about to arrive,the focus of surveillance will also be on migratory birds.

Samples of droppings and sera will be collected by teams from birds at six water bodies and sent for examination to the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory (HSADL) in Bhopal.

The animal husbandry department has received directives from the government regarding the mutant strain of the bird flu spreading in Asia. Strict instructions are being given at the district level to collect and send samples to the Western Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory in Aundh.

Officials have ruled out any unusual mortality in birds in the last six months,but admit that the contagious Ranikhet virus had in January infected poultry at a government-run hatchery in Pune,forcing it to shut down. Around 4,500 chickens had died. While the Central Hatchery at Khadki was closed down following the Ranikhet outbreak,animal husbandry officials on Friday confirmed that they will start running the farm again in October. Chickens are highly susceptible to the Ranikhet virus and the disease is a major worry for the poultry industry.

Deputy Commissioner,Department of Animal Husbandry,Dr G P Rane,says that almost all birds had been infected at the farm by the Ranikhet virus. The farm had to be shut down and sanitised before it is ready for reopening in October. Birds are also being vaccinated against the disease as a precautionary measure.

Rane said there has been no major mortality of birds. “We are checking for any unusual mortality of birds,” adds Rane.

As part of the preparedness against bird flu,6,000 protective suits have been procured so to prevent transmission to humans.

A rapid antigen test confirms the disease immediately but samples are sent to HSADL,which has the facility for isolation of the virus. Samples from Maharashtra,Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh are sent to Bhopal while the Pune lab tests samples that are sent from other states.

Officials at the Aundh lab say that every year,nearly 10,000 samples are sent from seven states for examination for and assessment of antibodies. An ELISA test is conducted at the laboratory. However,isolation of the avian influenza virus is done at HSADL.