Since sounding an alert over H5N1 flu in all the 24 districts of Jharkhand, the Animal Husbandry Department has sent swab samples of at least 1977 birds for tests to Kolkata in the past 48 hours, officials said on Thursday. The bird flu alert was issued on Tuesday after cases of infection were reported in parts of India.
Experts from the department on Thursday also collected swab samples of around 30 birds of different species from the Birsa Munda Zoological Park in Ranchi in a bid to check if the avian influenza has infected birds at the largest zoo in Jharkhand, zoo authorities said.
“We have sent samples of 1977 birds for tests so far, and random testing in all the districts will continue in the days to come,” said Animal Husbandry Director Nancy Sahay. “No cases of bird flu have surfaced in Jharkhand so far. These tests are being conducted as a precautionary measure,” she added.
Jharkhand had reported cases of bird flu in the past two years, but the virus only infected wild birds in the state and did not affect the poultry sector. While poultry birds are also being tested this time around, the government has not imposed any restrictions on the sale of poultry products.
The animal husbandry department has also asked commoners and poultry staff to maintain distance from the carcass of birds that die suddenly and issued guidelines on the ways to spot symptoms of the virus among birds in poultry farms and shops. Samples of some crows that died mysteriously in Jamshedpur have been sent for tests, and the test results are awaited.
Meanwhile, the authorities at the Ranchi zoo have started providing immunity boosters to the more than 200 birds in the zoo and restricted entry of staff other than dedicated bird keepers in the cages, zoo officials said.
“Swab samples of birds from every cage were collected today (Thursday) for tests,” said the director of Birsa Munda Zoological Park, YK Das. “All the bird cages are being cleaned regularly and the entry of staff other than the bird keepers has been restricted. We are also providing immunity-boosting medicines to the birds,” he added.
The zoo in Ranchi also houses large birds like ostriches and emus that need special care, said Das, adding that the zoo administration had to not only check the entry of bird flu in the zoo but also the transmission of the virus from birds to the staff working in the zoo. However, the fear of transmission of the virus from birds to visitors was minimum as the zoo has remained closed for visitors in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, Das said.