The Centre on Sunday confirmed bird flu in nine states for poultry birds. “Till January 24, 2021 outbreaks of Avian Influenza (bird flu) have been confirmed in 9 States (Kerala, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Punjab) for poultry birds,” said a statement by Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
The flu has been confirmed in 12 states so far, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, and Punjab, for crow, migratory or wild birds.
“However, crow/pigeon samples submitted from Rudraprayag, Lansdowne Forest Range and Paudi Forest Range of Uttarakhand; pigeon samples from Sriganganagar district of Rajasthan; crow and peacock samples from Fatehpur district of Uttar Pradesh have been found negative for Avian Influenza,” the statement said.
Varanasi situation
In Varanasi, it was notified that action will be taken against the boatmen who did not follow the guidelines laid down by the administration and allowed tourists on their boats to feed the birds amid flu. The action comes after a photo was shared on social media by cricketer Shikhar Dhawan in which he was seen feeding birds during a boat ride in Varanasi amid bird flu, which raised concerns among netizens.
Rajasthan situation
Avian Influenza (bird flu) has been confirmed in 17 districts of Rajasthan. According to the state’s animal husbandry department, a total of 6,595 birds have been found dead in the state between December 25, 2020, and January 24, 2021.
Gujarat Situation
Gir Somnath became the fourth district in Gujarat to be affected by bird flu after samples of indigenous chicken kept at a farm at Dolasa village tested positive for avian influenza. Culling operation started in and around Dolasa village on Saturday, officers said.
