Amidst fear of possible outbreak of avian influenza, also known as Bird Flu, the government on Sunday appealed to poultry importers not to import poultry and poultry products from neighboring India where spread of the disease has been reported.
Photo source : nature.com
“Considering the reports of spread of Bird Flu in parts of India, we have issued appeal to the importers not to import live birds and poultry products [from India] for the time being,” Dr Dhan Raj Ratala, program director of Animal Health Director, told Nepalnews.
Although there are conflicting reports about the emergence of disease in farm birds while a panel of scientists is still studying the cases in India, Nepal needs to maintain alert as it is considered a ‘high-risk zone’, he said.
Ratala informed that importers, who are required to obtain license from the government – to be renewed every three months – have been asked to cancel the imports from areas where the Bird Flu outbreak has been reported.
He added that the government is not in a position to impose ban on poultry imports due to legal constraints. He said distribution of poultry products, especially in bordering areas, would be strictly monitored.
Major portion of import of poultry comes from the Indian state of Maharastra, according to Ratala. Tests are conducted in 24 quarantine posts in borders including Tatopani in Sindhupalchowk district, which borders Tibet, to check possible outbreak of the disease.
Regular lab tests have been conducted since quite some time after reports of spread of the disease in China and India but no Bird Flu case has been traced so far in Nepal. Ratala said surveillance has been carried out in national parks around the country in view of the risk of spread of the disease by migrating birds.
“We have been receiving lab test reports from national parks because the disease is also passed on by migrating birds. No Bird Flu cases have been found so far.”
Avian influenza (flu) is an infection caused by avian viruses. Avian influenza is very contagious among wild birds and can infect domesticated birds, including chickens, ducks, and turkeys and kill them.
Till date, some six dozen people have already died of Bird Flu in different parts of the world.