Himachal Pradesh: Bird flu death count crosses 3,000 in Pong Dam area

SHIMLA: With 292 migratory birds found dead in and around the Pong Dam lake wildlife sanctuary area of Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district on Wednesday, the count of deaths due to avian influenza has gone up to 3,031. On Tuesday, 627 migratory birds were found dead.
So far, the spread of virus among migratory birds has been found only in Pong Dam area as no death of migratory birds has been reported from any other wetland or dam in the state.The animal husbandry department has lifted samples of 119 poultry birds from areas adjoining Pong Dam and sent them for testing at Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory in Jalandhar.
Dr Sanjeev Dhiman, deputy director (animal husbandry) in Dharamshala, said reports are expected in the next two days and 18 Rapid Response teams had also been constituted. He added that no case of bird flu has been found among poultry birds.
Secretary (health) Amitab Awasthi told TOI that the department was fully prepared to deal with a situation arising out of avian flu infection among humans. A six-bed isolation ward had been prepared at Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College at Tanda in Kangra and Tamiflu tablets procured, he said.
Kangra deputy commissioner Rakesh Kumar Prajapati said the situation was under control and proper disposal of bird carcass was being ensured. He said there were reports of around a dozen crows found dead in Fatehpur area and more information was being collected.
State principal chief conservator of forests-cum-chief wildlife warden Archana Sharma said a team of experts from Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, has visited the Pong Dam area.
ICAR-National Institute of High-Security Animal Disease, Bhopal, had on Monday confirmed avian influenza virus (H5N1) among the dead bar-headed geese in Pong Dam area. The field staff had launched a search in the sanctuary area after migratory birds were found dead in Majhar, Bathari, Sihal, Jagnoli, Chatta, Dhameta and Kuthera areas of wildlife range Dhameta and in Guglara area of Jawali Beat of Wildlife Range Nagrota on December 29.