Crow deaths push panic button of bird flu in Jamshedpur

Jamshedpur, Jan 6: Sudden deaths of crows near Jubilee Park on Wednesday have spread panic in the city. With cases of bird flu being reported in five states in the past one week, the district animal husbandry department convened an urgent meeting and issued an alert.

According to information about five crows were found dead near Jubilee Park. The department seized the dead carcases and have sent them to the Forensic Lab further which samples will be sent to the National Institute of Virology, Pune, to test for avian influenza.

 An official of the animal husbandry department said that the Centre has issued an advisory to all states asking them to test the droppings of migratory and poultry birds to prevent the spread. Close to 24,500 birds have died and thousands others are infected.

District animal husbandry officer SK Sinha said that the animal husbandry department has sent five carcasses to the laboratory to know the cause of these deaths. The report is awaited.

“We have sounded a general alert in the city. The idea is to ensure humans could protect themselves from the flu. Second, maximum attention should be on maintaining clean environments at the poultry farm, it is more susceptible to the H5N1,” he said.

According to information, the demand for poultry products in the city has reportedly fallen 10 per cent to 15 per cent. As per the trend, the sale of poultry products is always high during the winter season however, but the fear factor has forced the people to shun the consumption.

Sunil Kumar, a wholesale dealer of poultry products in the city said there has been a 10 per cent decline in the sale of chicken. “For the past two days, people are instead opting for fish and mutton, and the sale of these products has doubled,” he added. He, however, said the decline in the sale of poultry products was around 20 per cent.

With reports of bird flu reportedly spreading to more areas in neighbouring states, the poultry industry in the city has went for a tailspin as demand for supply of eggs and chicken dropped.

 

If required, the department will issue a show-cause notice to the meat shop owners under the Food Safety and Standard Rules and on the basis of the response, further action will be taken as per the law against the offenders.