Rajasthan on high alert as bird flu spreads in West Bengal

By IANS

Jaipur : Rajasthan has stepped up preventive measures as the contagious H5N1 virus, which causes bird flu, is reportedly spreading in West Bengal, said a senior minister here Monday.


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“The state government is on high alert. Though no case has so far been reported in the state, we have asked the poultry industry to take safeguards,” Agriculture Minister Prabhulal Saini told IANS.

“We have stepped up surveillance along the state borders and asked the bird keepers to report any case of death or disease of birds,” he said.

“Surveillance teams have started collecting blood samples at random from poultry farms across Rajasthan,” Saini added.

The teams, comprising veterinary doctors and assistants, are required to visit poultry farms and submit their reports to the animal husbandry department on a day-to-day basis.

The desert state also hosts thousands of migratory birds from all over the world every winter. Ghana bird sanctuary, once the royal hunting preserve of Bharatpur royalty, normally receives 300-350 species of water birds. This time the number is far lower due to water scarcity.

Besides, the state also has a big poultry industry with Ajmer district being the leader.

Saini’s assertion that “there is no reason to worry about” does not go down well with the traders as the chicken prices have already started to fall. Egg traders have reported that the demand has been badly hit since the outbreak of H5N1 in West Bengal.

“Chicken prices have come down by 10-12 percent in the past couple of days and if the panic continues we may see a further fall in prices,” said Abdul, a chicken dealer in walled city area of Jaipur.

“The people coming to book parties are now requesting us not to serve any poultry based product,” said Ajay Kumar, a restaurant manager here.

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