India steps up surveillance to prevent bird flu outbreak

New Delhi, Apr 11 (UNI) India has stepped up surveillance activities and border states alerted to take precautionary measures in view of the incidents of bird flu outbreak in Myanmar, Bangladesh and Pakistan, Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss said today.

Dr Ramadoss told reporters here that the Ministries of Enviornment,Agriculture and Health are working in tandem to check any outbreak of the infectious disease in the country.

Surveillance has been strengthened and besides checking poultry for any infections, people admitted to hospitals with pneumonia are also being tested for bird flu, he said.

Pointing out that no case of bird flu among humans have been reported from any neighbouring countries, Dr Ramadoss said that only advice regarding import of birds have been issued but no travel advisory to humans till now was required.

He said once the bird flu outbreak in Myanmar and Thailand came to light, and after it was reported in Pakistan, the border districts in North East, and border along Punjab, Gujarat and Rajasthan have been put on alert. The concerned state governments have been aksed to take specific action.

UNI