Punjab sets up panel for bird flu monitoring

Chandigarh , July 27 (UNI) In view of reports of bird flu emanating from Manipur, the Punjab government has set up a high-level panel to offset the threat of the disease and to review and monitor the preparedness to contain the disease.

Mr S C Agrawal, Financial Commissioner, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Dairy Development would be the Chairman of this panel.

The members on the panel are-- Ms Usha R Sharma, Secretary, Dr Baljit Singh Singh Sidhu, Director Animal Husbandry, Dr H S Sandha, Joint Director, Regional Disease Diagnostic Lab, Jalandhar and Dr Amarjit Singh, Deputy Director, Animal Husbandry (Poultry Development.

The announcement was made by Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Dairy Development Minister Gulzar Singh Ranike at a meeting held here today.

Mr 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 has stockpiled adequate consumables and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) etc.

He said disease surveillance had been stepped up even as the 18,000 sera samples and 4500 swab samples collected from northern states had tested negative. The sera samples had been tested using sophisticated ELISA techniques at Regional Disease Diagnostic Lab (RDDL), Jalandhar.

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

However, the district level action plan to control the disease had been prepared in collaboration with the administration and the state was fully capable to check the entry of disease in Punjab. He further stated that a control room had been set up at Chandigarh and the state was daily monitoring the status of the disease in the country daily.

Addressing the meeting, Mr Agrawal said training was being imparted to create awarness about bird flu to sensitise the animal husbandry, wild life and forest officials of northern states.

So far 5300 personnel have been trained, he added.

He further added that brochures and pamphlets about bird flu had also been circulated among poultry farmers and others in the trade.

UNI