Delhi and Maharashtra have recently confirmed cases of bird flu. Other seven states that have reported bird flu cases are Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.
Recently, 800 chickens were found dead in Parbhani district in Maharashtra. The samples of dead chickens were sent to NIHSAD in Bhopal for a bird flu test. The samples have been found positive for the virus. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has called for a meeting to review the situation arising due to the bird flu outbreak.
In Delhi, ten ducks were found dead in Mayur Vihar Phase 3, Dwarka and near the Sanjay Lake. The bird samples were sent to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) in Bhopal and eight samples were found infected with the flu virus. On Sunday, 17 more ducks were reported dead at Sanjay Lake. In the last few days, 91 crows have been reported dead in Delhi Development Authority parks.
After that, the Delhi government has ordered the culling of ducks at the Sanjay Lake in Delhi. The officials have also closed the poultry market in Ghazipur as a precautionary measure. They have also closed several parks including the Hastsal Park, Hauz Khas Park and Dwarka Sector 9 Park.
The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying has formed a team of officials to visit the affected areas and monitor the spread of bird flu.
Some wild birds carry the bird flu virus which can spread to other terrestrial birds via their droppings. This is why bird flu cases spike during migratory seasons and mostly affect regions that see a lot of migratory birds.
Also read:
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All you need to know about bird flu, its symptom and treatment
