November 14, 2013

India self-declared bird flu free

India aims to boost poultry exports as the country declared itself as being free from the highly contagious avian influenza or bird flu which has greatly affected the country's poultry sector.

It will help traders to tap overseas markets for poultry products as the outbreak of bird flu in certain parts of the country three months ago had led many countries to impose ban on imports of such consumable items from India.

"India has declared itself free from notifiable Avian Influenza (H5N1), commonly called bird flu, and notified it to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)," said an official statement of the department of animal husbandry under the agriculture ministry.

It emphasised that even though India was free from the virus, regular surveillance are to be maintained throughout the country, specifically in vulnerable areas which border with affected countries, and vicinities visited by migratory birds.

India had notified the outbreak of bird flu at the Poultry Production Unit (College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry) in Durg and the Government Poultry Farm in Chhattisgarh on August 5.

The Centre had subsequently alerted states and Union Territories to take precautionary measures to contain the spread of avian influenza. The directive led to heavy losses for poultry farmers as government agencies had to cull birds in substantially high numbers to prevent an outbreak.

The measures are implemented through the entire poultry population including destruction of eggs, feed, litters and other infected materials in the radius of one kilometre around the outbreak location. Other actions also involved the restriction on poultry movements, disinfection and cleaning of infected premises, and the implementation of the Post Operation Surveillance Plan (POSP).