Rajesh Kumar Behera in Kendrapara(Orissa):
The Bhitarkanika National Park and the District animal husbandry officials ,on Wednesday, sounded alert to the inhabitants of nearby Bhitarkanika National park to take precautionary measures from Bird Flu by distributing leaflets and creating awareness about the diseases ,keeping in mind that the winter feathered guests have started arriving in Bhitarkanika and suspecting that they might have carried H5N1 virus with them, informed P.K.Behera, the DFO of Rajnagar mangrove forest and wildlife Division.
According to DFO , the Chief District Veterinary Officer (CDVO) of Kendrapara, is going to visit to National Park very shortly in order to conduct sample tests of the winter avian guests in order to examine the birds and to ascertain whether these migratory birds were affected with flu virus.
The DFO of Rajnagar informed that so far none of the winged guests have been found infected with Bird flu virus i.e. H5N1 .The forest officials have been keeping a close watch on the activities of the winged visitors and also urged the locals to take adequate precaution in this regard.
The avian species like Bar Headed Goose ,Brahmin Duke and other species ,which are wild, are more vulnerable to carry the Flu virus as they come form Northern Hemisphere Siberia, middle East Asian and on the way these species cross China, Laddakha, Mansorabar Lake and Tibet to arrive in Bhitarkanika, informed Behera.
The duo bird species generally prefer to come to the waterbodies of chilika and Bhitarkanika National Park. Every winter the duo species have been coming in large numbers to Raitapatia, Chataka ,Satabhaya, Praharajpur diha and Durgaprasadpurdiha of Bhitrakarinaka National Park ,said official sources .
“We have sounded warning to the inhabitants that if any indifferent behaviour found in any migratory birds or with their poultry then they should immediately bring the matter to the notice of the forest officials. The ducks and chickens are more vulnerable to bring the virus to the human settlement”, added Behera, the DFO.
Notably, the veterinary officials last year collected blood and stool samples of about 300 avian species and sent the samples to Animal Disease Research Institute (ADRI), Bhubenswar. Later, the officials of ADRI sent the samples to High Security Animal Disease Laboratory (HSADL) in Bhopal . The scientists of HSADL did not find any flu affected birds in Bhitarkanika.
