ICAR clarifies on bird flu outbreak
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, April 25 2015 :
The ICAR officials in Imphal have during a press conference held on Saturday clarified some of the questions this newspaper raised in the recent past regarding the reported outbreak of bird flu in Manipur.
Besides one opposition MLA has cast aspersions on the whole issue.
Speaking to media persons, Dr Blessa Sailo, Scientist (ICAR) of Veterinary and Public Health said that a heavy rain on April 5 killed five birds.
Fluid samples were sent to the Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Services.
It had certified the cause of death was Ranikhet disease.
ICAR had decided to send the sample to ICAR- National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal.
The poultry birds in the ICAR poultry unit were 32 weeks old and not a single bird or egg was imported from outside the state since September 2014 .
The result confirming the bird flu was made over to Animal Husbandry Dairying and Fisheries (DADF), Ministry of Agriculture, Govt of India on April 18 with a copy sent to Animal Husbandry Commissioner, DADF, New Delhi and to Joint Secretary, MOS, Krishi Bhawan Delhi.
The copy was also received by the State Government of Manipur.
Joint Director N Prakash of ICAR, said that the culling of poultry birds, one of the major combating steps taken up by the state Department of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Services, ended on Friday.
As a next step, mopping of poultry birds has started from today onwards in the Infected Zone of the outbreak.
As usual, for the Surveillance Zone areas, ban on movement, transportation and banning of economic activities of poultry birds and eggs is still on.