Two suspected human cases of bird flu have been detected in Odisha.
The two cases were detected at the Mangalpur Community Health Centre in Puri district. As containment measures, 30,000 birds 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.
Director, Public Health, Nilakanta Mishra told The Telegraph: “No one needs to panic. The samples have been sent to the Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC) for confirmation tests. If necessary, we will seek the help of the Pune Virology Centre.”
Meanwhile, the Odisha government has assured the poultry farmers that they will receive compensation. “We are planning to provide compensation of ₹20 for one small chicken and ₹70 for bigger ones,” said minister of animal resources development Gokulananda Mallik.
The epic centre of the bird flu has been identified as two blocks of Puri — Pipili and Sakhigopal.
Meanwhile, the state government has intensified the sanitization drive in the affected area. The government has also urged the people of the affected area to avoid consuming chicken for the time being.
Health minister Mukesh Mahaling said: “The ASHA (Accredited Social Health Workers) have been engaged to create awareness among the people. They are conducting a door-to-door awareness campaign. We are also distributing the Tamiflu medicine those required.”
