Imphal, January 25: In a pre-emptive measure to check the spread of avian influenza in the state following the wild spread of the disease in West Bengal, the government of Manipur has banned the import of chicks, ducklings, eggs, and live birds etc from other states to Manipur.

"In order to contemplate sufficient measures in addition to the intensive post operative surveillance plan being taken up by the Veterinary and Animal Husbandry (VAH) department for prevention of recurrence of Avian Influenza in Manipur, testing of poultry feed samples for any possible contamination with avian influenza virus is felt necessary", said an order issued by the state VAH director, Th.Dorendra Singh today to this effect.

The order also said that a team of the state Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, directorate of VAH services shall collect feed samples regularly from poultry feed shops, farms etc with immediate effect for testing in the laboratory and detection of any possible contamination with avian influenza virus.

The Manipur director of VAH services, Th.Dorendro Singh has also issued an instruction earlier that there should be strict vigil in the poultry population both in organized sectors and backyard poultry for any suspected symptoms of avian influenza and physical surveillance and monitoring should be accelerated for any unusual morbidity and mortality in birds.

The director had also directed all concerned to submit daily report on any unusual morbidity and mortality in birds to his office by 5 in the evening.

It may be recalled that the state was also hit by bird flu virus sometime back in July last year.

Around 3, 07,053 numbers of chickens and 24,553 numbers of ducks were culled while 28,222 eggs and 23,150 kilograms of poultry feeds were disposed of.

However, the authority concerns have declared the state as well as the country free from avian influenza after strict surveillance exercises for around four months.

He had also ordered all veterinary check gates of the department to be kept vigil to ensure total ban on import of birds across the international border in the wake of the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in West Bengal recently.