Ranchi: The district administration is likely to get a sanitisation certificate soon from the state animal husbandry directorate after completion of the disinfection exercise undertaken in the infection zone last week in the wake of the bird flu outbreak.
Bird flu was confirmed in Ranchi on March 3 after samples collected from the chickens being reared at the Jail More residence of Union tribal affairs minister Arjun Munda tested positive.
Thereafter, the district administration declared the 1-km radius from the epicentre as infected zone for culling of all poultry items. It also imposed a ban on the sale of poultry within the 10-km radius from the epicentre for 21 days.
With no further report of any outbreak, the administration is hopes to return to normalcy soon.
Vipin Bihari Mahta, the director of Kanke-based government-run Institute of Animal Health and Production (IAHP), which is monitoring the situation, said, “As per the protocol, the issuance of sanitisation certificate to the district administration by the animal husbandry director is expected within the next one or two days. The certification would mean scientific culling and disinfection in the affected areas has been done and there is no further threat. This will pave the way for reopening of sale of poultry in the restricted zone.”
He, however, said, “As per the GOI’s action plan, samples have to be collected and sent for lab tests every 15 days for three months. Within 1-km radius, poultry trade will remain banned.”
He added that they were regularly sending samples from across the state to Bhopal for testing and all samples have turned negative. “Even today, we despatched 800 poultry samples,” he informed.
Meanwhile, sources in the district animal husbandry department said the seven-member team engaged in culling has been put under 15-day isolation. “The central team had advised for 15-day isolation after which the culling team was stationed on the IAHP campus. None developed any health issue as all the prescribed protocols were followed,” said an official.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes
