No death due to bird flu in Gujarat: Ashok Bhatt

Gandhinagar, Feb 24 (UNI) Gujarat Health Minister Ashok Bhatt today informed the Legislative Assembly that ''no death has occurred due to bird flu in the State.'' Answering during the calling attention motion after the question hour session, Mr Bhatt told the Assembly that timely preventive and precautionary measures by the State Health Department, in tandem with the local authorities, have prevented the entry of bird flu in Gujarat.

He said, following reports of the death of laying birds at Navapur town of Nandurbar district in Maharashtra, bordering Gujarat, and positive results of their blood samples in laboratory at Bhopal, the 10 km bordering area of the State has been put on alert as a precautionary measure.

The Minister also said, he had made an immediate visit to the place and an emergency meeting was held under his chairmanship.

He also said he had directed the referral hospital at Vyara taluka of Surat district to set up a separate ward for the treatment of suspected patients.

As many as 27 villages, located in periphery of 10 km area on the Gujarat-Maharashtra border, were surveyed by medical teams comprising 13 medical officers, 61 paramedical staff, 16 vehicles and three ambulances. These teams visited nearly 7,500 families, covering a population of 37,000 people.

They had found 259 cases of fever, 159 cases of headache, 49 cases of diarrhoea and six cases of conjunctivitis, but, did not find a single human case with suspected symptoms of the bird flu, Mr Bhatt said.

He also informed the House that preventive measures were taken to prevent the entry of suspected birds into Gujarat by any transport means.

Besides, a rapid response team with medicines, paediatricians, a micro-biologist, an assistant professor of preventive and social medicines (PSM) has been kept ready for any eventuality.

The Centre has provided assistance of 1,900 Tamiflu tablets, 1,000 masks and 1,075 personal protective equipment kits, Mr Bhatt added.

UNI MP GK YA PC1740