About 25,000 chickens culled; measures to check disease enhanced

New Delhi, July 27 (UNI) About 25,000 birds have been culled in Manipur so far and precautionry measures to contain the disease have been intensified while Asom, Nagaland today banned the import of poultry from the state and the Punjab government constituted a high-level panel to check the onset of Avian Influenza.

32 Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) have now been deployed as against yesterday's 21 and 22 areas identified for culling and proper sanitisation works in the culling zone in Manipur.

Veterinary Director Dr Th Dorendra in the state said more places were also identified and the culling process would continue in the identified places tomorrow.

About 10,000 eggs and 500 kg of poultry feed were also disposed off.

All the members of RRTs were fully equipped with PPE (personal protection equipment) and control operations were carried out as per the guidelines issued by the Government in identified poultry units as well as backyard poultry.

Eight areas/villages, four each in East and West Imphal districts, were covered on the second day and a Control Room has been set up at the Office of the Directorate of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Services at Imphal for assistance in this regard.

Nagaland and Asom has banned import of poultry, pigs and their by-products from the state and Myanmar.

In a notification, Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Joint Director (Nagaland) Dr L S Moses said the Department would carry out fogging of all vehicles coming to Nagaland from Manipur with disinfectant at Khuzama Check Gate, the entry point in Nagaland from Manipur and deploy additional manpower to assist the staff of the Department.

Asom, meanwhile, banned import of poultry and poultry products from Nagaland as well.

Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory sources in Guwahati informed that all the border areas had been alerted, especially the three districts of Barak Valley, closest to Manipur.

Import from Nagaland through Karbi Anglong district was also banned as infected poultry could find its way into the state from Manipur, sources said.

A Central rapid response team had been formed to oversee the awareness drive in Asom.

The Punjab government also set up a high-level panel to offset the threat of the disease and to review and monitor the preparedness to contain the disease to be headed by Mr S C Agrawal, Financial Commissioner, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Dairy Development.

Announcing this, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Dairy Development Minister Gulzar Singh Ranike said the state government was fully geared up to prevent the outbreak of the highly pathogenic avian influenza(HPAI) within its boundaries and to come to terms with such an eventuality.

The minister said there was no cause for panic as there was no trade of poultry products between Punjab and Manipur.

UNI