August 5, 2005

India massively monitors migratory birds for bird flu

India's government has organised a massive monitoring programme in anticipation that some of the 10,000 or more migratory birds from China might carry the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu.

According to reports, scientists in western China recently found the H5N1 strain in bar-headed geese, which fly to India in October every year from reserves in Tibet.

The Indian government has short-listed 115 bird sanctuaries in the country which were common destinations for these birds, including the states of Andhra Pradesh in the south, Orissa in the east, Arunachal Pradesh in the north-east, Himachal Pradesh in the north and the Indian Ocean islands of Andaman and Nicobar.

Domestic fowl in the vicinity of the migratory birds would also be constantly tested to confirm they were not infected by the virus.