Bird flu in poultry spreads to 9 states, Uttarakhand, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh joins the tally

NEW DELHI: The Centre, on Friday, stepped up control measures after confirmation of bird flu in poultry in three more states- Uttarakhand, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh - taking the tally to nine states where the disease has been found in poultry. The bird flu in poultry samples was earlier confirmed in states like Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Haryana, Punjab and Chhattisgarh.

Apart from that cases of bird flu in crows, wild and migratory birds have already been confirmed in 12 states - Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab.

The control and containment operations including cleaning and disinfection are going on in the affected epicentres of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh & Kerala.


“There is nothing to panic about. Situation is under control. Consumption of poultry and poultry products is safe if consumed after boiling at more than 70 degree for half and hour,” said a senior official of animal husbandry and dairying ministry.

He said that all he states are reporting to the centre on daily basis regarding the control measures adopted to control the spread of the disease.

“The number of cases will come down with rise in temperature and return of migratory birds from the country,” he said.

Meanwhile, bird flu has been confirmed in poultry samples from Almora in Uttrakhand and Somnath in Gujarat.

“The disease has also been confirmed in crows in the states of Union territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Tehri range of Uttrakhand,” he said

However, crow samples submitted from Alwar district of Rajasthan have been found negative for Avian Influenza.