Bird Flu result of unmindful urbanisation: ICMR

Lucknow, Mar 7 (UNI) The recent bird flu menace in India is a classic case of the consequences of unmindful urbanisation and deforestation, a top scientist has asserted.

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director General Prof Nirmal Kumar Ganguly told UNI today: ''Rapid urbanisation is shrinking the geographical space between animals and human settlements, which has opened a Pandora's box of animal diseases to man.'' He maintained that human habitation was also getting closer to water bodies due to deforestation.

''Migratory birds, which carry Bird Flu virus, make no distinction between water bodies in the forest/reserves and near human population.'' In Maharashtra, he said, migratory birds were seen venturing near poulty farms, which caused the Bird Flu scare in the region.

''Fotunately, the virus could not transmit to humans,'' he informed.

Prof Ganguly further added the season when migratory birds come to India is also the time when the Bird Flu virus is in the ascendency and spreads faster due to conducive climate and temperature.

''We need a smart surveillence system to keep track of the exotic birds species and if they carry virus when they arrive in the country,'' he asserted.

The ICMR DG said animal-borne diseases were most common in East/South East Asian countries such as Hong Kong and Vietnam, including China, because birds and humans lived in close vicinity in these nations.

''There are several cases of the Bird Flu virus entering the human body and mutating in the east Asian countries...this gives rise to the virus' human chain, which is lethal to say the least,'' he claimed.

Prof Ganguly was here to deliver the 10th Dr C R Krishna Murti Memorial Oration organised at the Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI).

The scientist said the government was working on a vaccine to arrest the menace. ''We already have some strains in our Bhopal lab.'' He also called upon medicine companies to develop India-specific anti-influenza drugs, since viruses change characteristics with different countries.

''The virus proliferates fast in the gut region if it enters the human body, therefore utmost precaution needs to be taken in the areas affected with Bird Flu,'' he advised.

The scientist also listed Japanese Encephalitis (JE), dengue, malaria and plague as other menace, which were closely related to unscientific urbanisation and unhygenic living.

UNI VS NAB CH DS1512