Karnataka: Administration warns people to be alert to avian flu in Udupi

UDUPI: Despite no signs or any case of avian flu reported in Udupi, the district administration on Friday while allaying concern in the population about the disease, exhorted people to take all precautions against it.
Cases of avian flu have been reported in Kerala, Gujarat and other states and it is therefore imperative for people to be cautious against it, deputy commissioner G Jagadeesha said, chairing a meeting of district vigilance committee here.
Directing officials of the department of health and family welfare and animal husbandry and veterinary sciences to visit all poultry farms to see for possible signs of the disease among the birds, Jagadeesha urged people to properly cook poultry products including chicken and eggs before consuming it. In addition, people must also follow the same social distancing norms including personal hygiene they are now following for Covid19, he said.
Officials of the department of animal husbandry and veterinary sciences must send samples of chicken from poultry farms in the district to Bengaluru verification centre every day. Follow up action should be based on reports, he said. Officials of the forest department must inform any instance of bird deaths in forest and fringe areas, he said while directing the gram panchayats to distribute information pamphlets on avian flu and its symptoms to villagers.
DC also appealed to people not to believe ‘information’ on social media related to avian flu. Administration has stopped import of chicken from other states and consumption of chicken bred within the state is safe. Vehicles transporting chicken from the district to other states will be sanitised before being allowed re-entry into the district and health of the vehicle crew checked, he said adding there is no ban on inter-district transport of chicken.
Common symptoms include fever, chills, headache, body ache, sore throat, cough, cold, breathlessness. Children, aged and immune compromised persons are at high risk to contract this disease, he said. Bird and poultry handlers at greater risk, DC noted. If people come across dead birds, animals in public places or in their homes and other private properties, DC requested them to inform the district control room on 0820-2534024.