Bird-flu: Punjab govt for alertness on Indo-Pak border

Chandigarh, Aug 9 (UNI) Despite the strict vigil along the Indo-Pakistan border, the Punjab government has called for stepping up surveillance along its 553-km-long border to prevent the smuggling of poultry in view of the bird-flu outbreak.

Though chances of smuggling of poultry and its products to India from Pakistan are remote due to the vigil being maintained by the BSF, alertness has to be maintained, Financial Commissioner, Animal Husbandry S C Agrawal said here today at a meeting of the high-level panel set up by the state government to check bird-flu.

The panel also decided that to create awareness about avian influenza, its containment and other measures to be adopted in case of its outbreak, services of the electronic media and radio would be taken.

The meeting was chaired by Animal Husbandry minister Gulzar Singh Ranike.

Disclosing this, Mr Agrawal who heads the panel, said that services of the electronic media would be employed to sensitise the public, especially those attached to the poultry trade, about aspects of avian influenza.

Dr B S Sidhu, Director, Animal Husbandry said that regular clinical surveillance for bird-flu was being conducted by field staff across the state and there had been no report of any unusual mortality of birds. He further said that reports were being sought from different districts on a weekly basis and these were being compiled and forwarded to the Central Government.

Dr Sidhu said that veterinary officers and pharmacists were being imparted exhaustive refresher trainings on the bird-flu threat and Deputy Directors had been directed to be in touch with their respective Deputy Commissioners. District level action plans have also been made to meet any emergent situation.

Dr H S Sandha, Joint Director, Regional Disease Diagnostic Lab, Jalandhar said in the meeting that so far 10,000 serum samples and 2,500 swabs and dropping samples had been tested and found negative for bird flu.

UNI