Bird flu alert sounded in Madhya Pradesh after crow deaths

The state government has issued an alert over the H5N8 avian influenza.

Mandsaur: The emergence of bird flu has caused alarm in Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur district where the presence of the virus has been confirmed in dead crows.Around 100 crows died in Mandsaur between December 23 and January 3.

Dr Manish Ingole of the Animal Husbandry Department of Mandsaur said, “Bird Flu has been detected in four samples of dead crows sent to the state lab.” A medical team has been dispatched to conduct surveillance within 1 kilometre of the infected area by the district administration, he added.

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The state government has issued an alert over the H5N8 avian influenza. Animal husbandry department officials in every district have been put on alert and asked to follow Standard Operating Procedures to check the spread of the virus. According to Animal Husbandry Minister Prem Singh Patel, between December 23 and January 3, 142 crows died in Indore, 100 in Mandsaur, 112 in Agar Malwa and 13 crows died in Khargone districts.

The presence of avian influenza or bird flu virus has been confirmed in samples of dead crows in Indore too. As a precautionary measure, veterinarians have started conducting investigations in poultry farms.

A few days before, many dead crows were found near the campus of an educational institute in Indore, following which samples of carcasses were sent to Bhopal for clinical examination and the presence of bird flu-like virus was confirmed, according to a state department health official.

“The infection found in the crows is of H5N8. Human transmission of this virus has not been reported. The Health Department conducted a fever survey in the localities around the Daly College School.

The people who had a fever or cold cough problems confirmed that they did not come in contact with any bird or its carcass”,Dr Amit Malakar from the state health department told ANI earlier.

Senior veterinarian from Indore Dr Prashant Tiwari told ANI, “After investigation, it is confirmed that the virus is similar to bird flu, although it is less contagious.” Cases of bird flu have been reported from Rajasthan and Kerala.