Cases of bird flu have been confirmed in 13 states so far of which Avian Influenza has been reported in poultry birds from nine states while in wild birds from 12 states, the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying confirmed on Saturday.
As on January 23, outbreaks of Avian Influenza (Bird flu) have been confirmed in nine states (Kerala, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab) for poultry birds and in 12 States (Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab) for crow/migratory/wild birds, said the ministry in a statement.
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 added.
Control and Containment Operations (Cleaning and Disinfection) are going on in the affected epicentres of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttarakhand and Kerala.
Compensation is paid to the farmers whose poultry birds, eggs and poultry feed are culled/disposed of by the state as per the action plan. The Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD) provides funds to states/UTs on a 50:50 sharing basis under ASCAD component of its LH & DC Scheme, said the ministry.
All the states are reporting to the department on a daily basis regarding the control measures adopted by them based on the Revised Action Plan for Prevention, Control and Containment of Avian Influenza 2021, said the statement.
Meanwhile, a document issued by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India suggests that proper cooking inactivates the bird flu virus present inside meat and eggs.
In view of the bird flu scare in the country, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a guidance document on "Safe handling, processing and consumption of poultry meat and eggs during bird flu pandemic" for creating awareness among the food business operators (FBOs) and consumers.
The document suggests that proper cooking inactivates the virus present inside meat and eggs. Poultry meat and eggs from the areas affected by the outbreak of bird flu should not be consumed raw or partially cooked. Properly prepared and cooked poultry meat and eggs are safe to eat, the FSSAI said.
"However, to date, no evidence indicates that anyone has become infected following the consumption of properly cooked poultry or poultry products, even if these foods were contaminated with the avian influenza virus," FSSAI said.
(With IANS inputs)