Bird Flu: 5557 Poultry Birds Culled In Pune District, Over 6000 Birds Reported Dead In Maharashtra

Pune, January 17, 2021: After the Pune District Collector declared two villages as ‘infected zone’ due to bird flu, a total of 5,557 poultry birds were culled there.

District Collector Rajesh Deshmukh yesterday issued an order declaring one-kilometre radius of Nande in Mulshi taluka and Boribel in Daund taluka as infected zones. Also, surveillance zones have been declared in the 10 km radius of these two villages. The rapid response teams have been directed to cull all poultry birds and eggs, as well as sanitize all the poultry farms in the 10 km radius of these villages. For the next 21 days, there will be a ban on the sale, purchase, transport, jatra of poultry birds in the surveillance zones, the order states.

According to the animal husbandry department, till 7 pm on January 16, a total of 745 poultry birds have been found dead in the State of Maharashtra. This includes Thane 17, Raigad 37, Pune 4, Satara 19, Solapur 20, Nashik 9, Ahmednagar 24, Aurangabad 26, Beed 50, Parbhani 35, Osmanabad 28, Hingoli 24, Amravati 75, Yavatmal 37, Nagpur 290 and 50 from Gondia.

Mortality has been reported in other 32 birds like Herons, sparrows, Parrots etc with the break of Mumbai 6, Thane 16, Raigad 1, Pune 1, Nanded 3, Yavatmal 3 and 2 at Akola. Total 59 crows have been found dead, with the breakup of Thane 33, Ratnagiri 7, Pune 3, Kolhapur 2, Nashik 7, Aurangabad 2, Beed 1 and Osmanabad 4. Thus, in the State of Maharashtra, a total of 836 birds have died on 16.01.2021 till 7 pm.

The samples are being sent to National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal and Disease Investigation Section, Pune for testing. A total of 5987 deaths of various birds have been recorded till the date, since 08/01/2021.

“It is hereby communicated to the owners of poultry farms and the general public that, an intimation of mortality in the in crows, parrots, herons or in migratory birds in any village or of any unusual mortality of poultry birds in commercial farms as well as in backyard poultry, be immediately given to the nearest veterinary dispensary. The intimation should also be given on the Toll-free no. 18002330418. It is advised that the dead birds should not be touched with bare hands, post mortem of such dead birds should not be conducted and the dead birds should not be disposed off without intimation”, the department stated.

“Properly cooked poultry meat and boiled eggs are safe for human consumption. It is appealed to the citizens that they should not consume raw, half-cooked poultry meat or eggs. The chicken shop proprietors are strictly directed to use gloves, a mask covering mouth and nose, stringent hygiene practices in the shop and to maintain social physical distancing norms. It is also urged not to spread misconceptions and rumours based on unscientific information about bird flu”, the department further added.