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Bird flu| Don’t pay heed to rumours: Giriraj Singh as 10 states report cases
Bird flu cases have been reported from Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Maharastra and Uttarakhand, according to the animal husbandry ministry.
Amid the bird flu outbreak which has been confirmed in 10 states till now, Union animal husbandry minister Giriaj Singh on Monday urged people to not pay attention to any kind of rumours about the virus and said there was no risk to human beings if animal products were cooked properly before consuming.
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“There is a situation of panic in the country. It is important to not spread rumours about the bird flu. The cases of bird flu have been frequently reported in India since 2006. There’s no risk to humans if animal products are cooked properly before eating,” Singh was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Bird flu cases have been reported from Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Maharastra and Uttarakhand, according to the animal husbandry ministry. The Centre has ordered all states and Union territories (UTs) to spread awareness about the virus to the public to curb misinformation .
States and UTs have also been asked to increase surveillance around zoos, poultry farms , live bird markets and water bodies along with proper disposal of carcass and strengthening bio-security in poultry farms.
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With regard to the Delhi government banning the import of live birds and closing the Ghazipur mandi due to the outbreak, Singh pointed out that the ministry had already issued an advisory for all states last year, adding that had the advice been followed, there would have been no need to close the Ghazipur market.
“Bird Flu spreads among wild birds through migratory birds. The ministry had issued advisory for all states on Oct 22, 2019. Had the advice been paid heed to, there would’ve been no need to close Ghazipur Mandi (Delhi),” Singh told ANI. He also said that Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal should not close the poultry market and instead take precautionary measures.
On Monday, Delhi became the latest state to confirm bird flu cases after samples sent to a laboratory in Bhopal were detected positive for avian influenza. Dr Rakesh Singh from the animal husbandry unit of the development department said that a drive to cull ducks had started at the Sanjay Lake where duck deaths were reported in the past few days.
Meanwhile, Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said on Monday that there was no need to worry as the government was keeping a close watch on the situation in the national capital and only the duck samples collected from the Sanjay Lake tested positive so far.
The deputy CM further assured the public that while humans could contract the flu, it cannot spread from one person to another, and would have ordinary symptoms like cough, fever and headache.
