The Bhitarkanika National Park and the Animal Husbandry department on Tuesday sounded an alert in and around the park area to take precautionary measures for a possible outbreak of bird flu.
“We have asked the inhabitants of the villages in the park and its fringe areas to inform if any abnormal behaviour found in any migratory bird or poultry. The ducks and chickens are more vulnerable to bring the virus to the human settlement," said CDVO Dr Chaityan Charan Sethy.
The poultry farm owners have been told to keep the sick birds separate from the flock. The virus from wild winter migratory birds spread to local birds and poultry and finally affect human beings, said Rajnagar wildlife and mangrove (Forest) division DFO Bimal Prasanna Acharya.
The District Veterinary and Animal Husbandry department has constituted a rapid response team in each block consisting of livestock inspectors, village 'gomitras' and veterinary officers and a direction has been given to monitor the situation, said the CDVO.
18 blood samples recently sent for test to the Animal Disease Research Institute (ADRI), Bhubaneswar and HSADl Bhopal have tested negative.
There is no need for the locals to be panicked for avian flu in the district as avian influenza virus has not been detected, said Sethy.