Bird flu has hit poultry firms in Odisha.

Over 5,000 chickens were culled after the H5N1 strain of avian influenza was detected in many poultry firms in the Pipili area in Puri district, about 20km from Bhubaneswar. Another 20,000 birds are set to be culled in Pipili.

The state government has asked people not to panic and said steps were being taken to contain the epidemic. Following the reports of bird flu, health government officials have urged people to avoid consuming chicken for a few days as a precaution. At the same time, the state government put Chilika Lake on high alert. However, not a single case has been reported so far from the lake, a lagoon, a Ramsar site and one of the better-known wetlands of the country.

Director of public health Bijoy Kumar Mohapatra said: “There is no reason to panic. At present, bird flu has been detected in some poultry firms in confined areas. A little awareness of bird flu would certainly help the cause to contain the disease. It's good that we have detected the epicentre of the bird flu. The state's rapid response teams (RRTs) have been put into action. They are in the fields doing their jobs. Fever surveillance is going on. As per government of India guidelines, once a bird is detected with bird flu, it needs to be culled and disposed of safely”

Mohapatra said: “Multi-stakeholders are involved in the job to contain the spread of bird flu. We have issued guidelines to the district-level officials. Our objective is to sanitise the areas. As bird flu is a viral infection, we are focusing on detection through surveillance. We are trying to ensure that those who are working at poultry firms maintain personal hygiene, wear masks, and avoid sources in case of infection.”

On the other hand, the principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF) has asked the Chilika Wild Life Division to take the required steps to avoid cases of bird flu and if any cases of bird flu is reported, immediately inform to the authorities,

Divisional forest officer (DFO), Chilika Wild Life Division, Amlan Nayak, told The Telegraph: “So far, not a single case of bird flu has been reported from our division. It's good that the epicentre of bird flu has been detected. We have dispatched teams to different places of bird congregations, such as Nalabanna and Mangalajodi, to keep a watch on the status and health of the birds. We are taking video conferencing of all those deployed in the field and taking their regular feeds.”

The DFO said: “The migratory birds are yet to reach the lake. They reach the lake in October. At least we have more than one month to do the required groundwork to prevent the occurrence of the bird flu.”