The Imphal Free Press

IMPHAL, Aug 5: Surveillance in the 5-10 km radius area from Chingmeirong, the epicenter of the recent bird flu outbreak has begun, even as 3,31,606 domestic fowls were slaughtered at the end of the first round of the culling drive taken up in an effort to contain the spread of the disease.

The state health department has in the meantime once again clarified that there are no human infection so far in the bird flu affected areas.

Department sources said four persons from Chingmeirong area were tested and found negative for avian influenza virus.

Officials of the state veterinary department said surveillance in the radius of 5-10 kms from the epicenter is in progress. They also informed there has been no unusual mortality amongst poultry in the surveillance zone as well as in any other part of the state.

"Door to door surveillance in 79 villages/sectors is being undertaken by deploying seven teams of lady doctors," an official at the control room opened at the state vety. department after the outbreak of bird flu said.

Out of 79 villages that were covered by rapid response teams for culling domestic fowls, 41 are in Imphal east while the remaining 38 are in Imphal west, the official elaborated.

Apart from eliminating 3,31,606 domestic fowls including chickens, ducks and pigeons, the 32 RRTs had also destroyed 28,103 eggs and 25,242 kgs of poultry feed.

The Manipur government has so far spent Rs. 70,28, 550 in paying compensation for the culled and destroyed fowls, eggs and feeds.

Officials said that the second rounds operation concentrating on cleaning and disinfection has started,

RRTs conducted the operation at two state run poultry farms at Mantripukhri and Porompat, both located within the quarantine zone.

In the meantime, state health officials said that the result of the health status of the four persons who developed fever/acute upper respiratory tract infection after they were reportedly in contact with either dead or sick birds have been received and found negative as to the presence of the bird flu virus.

The clinical samples of the four persons were tested at National Institute of Virology, NIV, Pune and National Institute of Communicable Diseases, NICD, Delhi and found to be negative for avian influenza virus by RT-PCR (Reserved Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction, the health official informed.

However, he said, the department will continue to ensure proper surveillance through 40 RRTs of health department daily to monitor the health status of the population of the specified area and medical staffs of the JN hospital are still keeping alert to attend to any requirement for prompt medical check-up of persons admitted to the hospital.

 

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