A three-member Central team arrived here and took stock of the bird flu situation in the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) and its vicinity on Thursday.
The team would continue to monitor the situation for 10 days. The team members told people not to panic as they said that the situation is under control.
The culling of poultry birds within 1 km of epicentre of infection has been completed. The inspection of samples would now be conducted within three km of the area if people show symptoms of cold and cough within 3 to 10 km twice a week, said Director of Public Health Ajit Mohanty.
“Though no human being has so far been infected in the bird flu across the country, we are taking precautionary measure and screening the health condition of people living in the surveillance zone,” said Mohanty.
While the area within one km from the OUAT’s poultry farm has been identified as the infected zone, the area in 10-km radius from the epicentre is known as surveillance zone, he added.
Sources said owners of the culled poultry birds, eggs and poultry feed were given compensation. The officials engaged in the culling operation are being provided preventive medicines, Mohanty said adding that the administration has launched an awareness drive in the area informing people of the dos and don’ts in wake of the bird flu outbreak.
