Bird flu hits Delhi; culling begins at Sanjay Lake park, more to be shut
Eight of the 109 samples sent to various laboratories tested positive for avian influenza on Monday morning, officials said
Avian influenza or bird flu has officially hit the national Capital as the Delhi government on Monday said eight of the 109 samples sent for testing were positive.
Senior government officials said the culling of live birds was immediately initiated from 8am on Monday in Sanjay Lake Park in Mayur Vihar Phase 2. The park had been declared an “alert zone” on Sunday after 17 more ducks were found dead in the green area. Culling in more areas will follow soon, one of the officials said.
As an immediate precautionary measure, a second senior government official said, more parks are likely to be shut in the national Capital, orders for which will be issued by respective authorities later in the day. On Saturday, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), which maintains most of the big parks in the city, had shut at least four major district parks in Hauz Khaz, Dwarka Sector 9, Hastsal and Sanjay Lake as a precautionary measure until further orders.
Also Read: Amid surge in bird flu cases, scientists say risk of spread to humans low
{{/usCountry}}Also Read: Amid surge in bird flu cases, scientists say risk of spread to humans low
{{/usCountry}}The reports arrived from the National Institute of High Security Animal Disease, ICAR, Bhopal, on Monday morning.
{{/usCountry}}The reports arrived from the National Institute of High Security Animal Disease, ICAR, Bhopal, on Monday morning.
{{/usCountry}}“Eight of the 109 samples sent to various laboratories tested positive for avian influenza on Monday morning. We do not have to wait for more confirmed reports as the protocol comes into force the moment a single case is reported in the city,” said Dr Rakesh Singh of the animal husbandry department.
{{/usCountry}}“Eight of the 109 samples sent to various laboratories tested positive for avian influenza on Monday morning. We do not have to wait for more confirmed reports as the protocol comes into force the moment a single case is reported in the city,” said Dr Rakesh Singh of the animal husbandry department.
{{/usCountry}}Singh said the eight sample reports which tested positive for bird flu were the ones of dead crows and ducks picked up from Sanjay Lake park in Mayur Vihar Phase 2, Dwarka Sector 9 and Mayur Vihar Phase 3.
{{/usCountry}}Singh said the eight sample reports which tested positive for bird flu were the ones of dead crows and ducks picked up from Sanjay Lake park in Mayur Vihar Phase 2, Dwarka Sector 9 and Mayur Vihar Phase 3.
{{/usCountry}}More than 140 birds, mostly crows, have been found dead across locations in Delhi over the past four days, even as district officials were directed to ensure that unauthorised wholesale poultry markets were closed for 10 days amid concerns of the spread of avian influenza.
The move came a day after the Delhi government announced the closure of the Ghazipur wholesale poultry market for 10 days and banned the import of live birds in the Capital as a preventive measure to stop the potential spread of bird flu.
