No bird flu scare in MP

Bhopal, May 4 (UNI) The Madhya Pradesh administration today reiterated that there was no bird flu scare in the state.

''Last week, 15 samples received from Badhana in Indore district's Sanwer tehsil tested negative at the city-based High-Security Animal Disease Laboratory that has analysed 4,000 samples from within the state and found only one positive. That sample was from Ichhapur village two km from Maharashtra's Jalgaon district border,'' Commissioner (Veterinary Services) Rajesh Rajora said here.

All samples were from districts adjoining Maharashtra and Gujarat besides Indore and Ujjain divisions. Disease surveys were still underway in those districts.

''On February 18, a sample from Maharashtra's Nandurbar tested positive and a high alert was sounded along the Maharashtra and Gujarat borders. Rapid response teams were constituted in every district of Madhya Pradesh. Survey, control and prevention work was accelerated with an additional budget,'' Dr Rajora explained.

Bird flu was also detected at Uchhal in Gujarat.

''Poultry products from those two states are banned here.

Twenty-six routes lead into Madhya Pradesh from Maharashtra while the corresponding figure is nine vis-a-vis Gujarat. Directives have been issued to magistrates of border districts Jhabua, Burhanpur, Balaghat, Betul, Seoni, Badwani and Chhindwara,'' he added.

UNI AG-AC YA RN1959