CMO alerts Health Dept

AFTER A deadly bird flu strain getting reported in Maharashtra, chief medical officer (CMO) Dr Shanitimal Singhavi has alerted nagar swasthya adhikari and food inspectors to closely monitor the sale of chicken and egg dishes in the market. The poultry farm owners have been asked to get themselves examined and get their birds vaccinated against the deadly virus.

AFTER A deadly bird flu strain getting reported in Maharashtra, chief medical officer (CMO) Dr Shanitimal Singhavi has alerted nagar swasthya adhikari and food inspectors to closely monitor the sale of chicken and egg dishes in the market. The poultry farm owners have been asked to get themselves examined and get their birds vaccinated against the deadly virus.

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Dr Shanitimal has also directed chief livestock officer to conduct regular surveillance of poultry farms in the district. The health inspectors have been told to immediately cull infected birds at safe places. The veterinary doctors have also been asked to take special precaution in treating such birds, said Dr Singhavi.

"There is no panic like situation in the district. But still in the secondary step the superintendents of the district hospitals will be asked to immediately report suspected cases to the district health authorities. Arrangements will be made to provide anti-viral drugs to the patients," he added.Veterinary physician Dr Chandra Prakash Singh Kushwaha said there is an immediate need to put imported birds in 40 days quarantine, to avoid spread of the virus. Vaccination of birds is the best possible way to avoid contacting the virus.

Being a viral disease, there is no such treatment of birds possible. So, it is better to cull the infected birds. The non-vegetarians should also take certain precautions before consuming chicken or boiled eggs. The chicken should be washed properly before cooking, he advises.

The chicken should be cooked at high temperature as in this process there are very less chances for virus to survive, he added.