India fully prepared to control any bird flu outbreak

New Delhi, Nov 3 (UNI) India is fully prepared to control any outbreak of Avian Influenza (AI) even though the country was declared free from the disease in August, 2006.

According to an official release issued here today, the strategy of the Government to control the disease includes continued surveillance throughout the country and especially in the areas where the outbreak of bird flu was noticed in February this year.

More than 73,000 samples have been tested at HSADL, Bhopal since the first outbreak. Routine surveillance all over the country combined with active and focused surveillance in vulnerable areas is being continued to ensure early detection of the disease in case of any fresh outbreak.

The government is emphasising on training of human resources and dissemination of information on bird flu and to reduce the risk of human transmission effectively in the event of any outbreak.

Modalities for sharing virus isolates of bird flu are being worked out between Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

Training of veterinary personnel to undertake control and containment operations for Avian Influenza is being continued as a priority activity. The Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries has developed a training module for the disease which has been tested through a two-day Conference at Pune and has been circulated to the regional level. Training of veterinarians is being regularly conducted by the Department. At the State level, training is being conducted in an effort to train a large number of doctors and related personnel.

The countrywide situation has been under constant review.

Monitoring is constantly undertaken through video-conferencing, regional workshops, national and international conferences and departmental meetings of all concerned departments besides review by a Committee of Secretaries at the level of Cabinet Secretary as also through established joint mechanisms at the level of central and state governments. The Department is also conducting IEC campaign for control of bird flu in the event of any outbreak.

India had the first outbreak of AI in February 2006. The Government immediate took steps to control and contain the disease in accordance with the protocol laid down by OIE. Consequent upon these efforts, India was free from the disease with effect from August 2006.

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