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Bird flu scare: Delhi closes Ghazipur poultry market for 10 days, bans import of live birds
Addressing a digital press conference, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said no bird flu case has been confirmed in Delhi, adding that the results of the first set of samples sent to the Northern Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory in Jalandhar for tests will come on Monday.
The Delhi government on Saturday announced closure of the Ghazipur wholesale poultry market for 10 days and also banned import of live birds in the Capital as a preventive measure to stop the potential spread of avian influenza, or bird flu, in the city.
The government’s move comes at a time when nearly 100 wild birds have been found dead in various locations across the national capital over the past few days.
Addressing a digital press conference, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said no bird flu case has been confirmed in Delhi, adding that the results of the first set of samples sent to the Northern Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory in Jalandhar for tests will come on Monday.
“In view of the prevailing situation and to prevent the virus from spreading in the city, the Delhi government has taken two very important decisions today. Firstly, we have put a complete ban on imports of live birds in the city. Secondly, the Ghazipur wholesale poultry market has been ordered shut for 10 days,” Kejriwal said.
Six states --- Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Kerala, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh --- have reported the outbreak that began in December-end. No case among the human population has been reported.
At least 24 crows were found dead at a district park in south Delhi’s Jasola over the past three days and 10 ducks have died at the famous Sanjay Lake, government officials said on Saturday.
On Friday, the government’s animal husbandry department had found nearly 50 carcasses of crows in east Delhi’s Mayur Vihar and Dwarka and Hastsal in west Delhi.
Dr Rakesh Singh, animal husbandry department, said until Friday, a total of 104 samples were sent from Delhi to Jalandhar. Five more samples were sent to the National Institute of High Security Animal Disease, ICAR, Bhopal on Saturday.
“Of the 104 samples that have been sent already, 100 are faecal and blood samples and four are dead crows. Of the five samples that will be sent on Saturday to Bhopal, one will be an oral swab and the remaining four are dead birds,” he said.
Dr Singh said the first set of results will come by Monday.
