Jharkhand: After Bokaro, bird flu outbreak in Ranchi

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A bird flu outbreak has been reported in Jharkhand's capital Ranchi barely a week after the disease in Bokaro district led to the culling of 4,000 chickens and ducks. H5N1, a type of avian influenza virus, was confirmed among poultry in Ranchi, an official said. "The Centre in a letter to Chief Secretary, Jharkhand, Sukhdev Singh on March 3 has confirmed the outbreak of avian influenza (H5N1) in poultry at Ranchi, directing the state for its control and containment," he said.

The letter from the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying read, "The samples from the said epicentre (Jail More, Ranchi Municipal Corporation) were sent...to the ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) Bhopal which confirmed on March 30, 2023 that samples are found positive for H5N1 avian influenza."

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The state government has been asked to take immediate measures including declaration of infected and surveillance areas, restricting access to infected premises, destruction of birds and disposal of dead birds and infected material. Meanwhile, Director, State Animal Husbandry, Chandan Kumar has asked the officials to identify birds for culling by declaring areas within a 1 km radius of the epicentre as the affected zone. Areas within a 10 km radius will be declared as surveillance zone.

Last week, a total of 3,856 birds, including chickens and ducks, were culled in Bokaro district after confirmation of the bird flu outbreak among 'Kadaknath' chicken, a variety of the protein-rich breed. Symptoms of the infection among humans include severe upper back pain, fever, cough, shortness of breath, cold and blood in the sputum, officials said. The Animal Husbandry Department has issued an advisory, urging people to inform it if they see dead birds.

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