NEW DELHI: At least nine states have confirmed cases as an outbreak of avian influenza or bird flu is rapidly spreading across India, officials and local media reported.
The capital New Delhi and the western state of Maharashtra are the latest to confirm cases, while others awaiting test results as they enforce containment measures. Seven other states – Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Gujarat – had earlier confirmed Avian Influenza as the cause of recent bird deaths.
New Delhi has closed the Ghazipur wholesale poultry market, the biggest in the region, after nearly 200 birds, mostly crows were found dead. New Delhi has closed the Ghazipur wholesale poultry market, the biggest in the region, after nearly 200 birds, mostly crows were found dead.
Haryana has reported the highest number of bird deaths as more than 400,000 birds have died in the last few weeks. Jammu and Kashmir and Chhattisgarh are also on alert.
Visitors have been barred from parks with water bodies, lakes and wildlife sanctuaries in the national capital region. An official in Maharashtra said at least 800 hens died there in the last two days.
On Sunday, authorities in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh shut down a zoo in Kanpur city after the death of four jungle fowls and two parrots. The sale of meat has been banned in a 10-km radius of the zoo and a close watch is being kept on all poultry farms and markets in the district.
Samples from dead crows from four other Uttar Pradesh districts have been sent to a laboratory in the central Indian city of Bhopal for testing.
Cases of bird flu have also been confirmed by Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Gujarat. Dead birds include poultry fowl, crows, pigeons, peacocks and migratory birds.
Bird flu affects mainly poultry and wild birds but can infect humans who have close contact with sick birds. Chickens are being culled in Haryana and Madhya Pradesh.
Markets and shops selling poultry have been shut for a week in seven Madhya Pradesh cities In the southern state of Kerala, the process of culling about 50,000 birds, mostly poultry farm ducks, has been completed in two affected districts.
Samples from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Kerala have tested positive for the H5N8 strain of the virus, while samples from Himachal Pradesh have shown the presence of H5N1.
