Zee Media Bureau
Chandigarh: The deadly Bird flu scare is back in news. This time reports have surfaced from Chandigarh, after two dozen ducks died in Sukhna Lake and one out of the dead also tested positive.
The presence of the dreaded virus, H5N1 has been confirmed by Bhopal-based National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) after one of the five sample sent to them resulted positive.
The test for bird flu on five of the dead geese was first carried out at the Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Jalandhar.
Central government has asked the Central Poultry Development Organisation to take all the possible precautions for preventing the spread of dreaded bird flu. Notification for culling of birds within a radius of one km of Sukhna lake has been issued.
Most of the avian flu viruses do not affect humans, states World Health Organisation, but the H5N1 virus found in parts of Asia and Africa has resulted in human deaths. State government has culled infected species to check its spread so far.
Earlier, Kerala government had culled more than two lakh ducks and poultry in Kuttanad region after the virus was detected. A control room has been established in the office of Joint Director, Animal Husbandry, Chandigarh with the helpline phone number.
The administration has issued a statement urging people not to panic at present.
