Punjab declared 'controlled area'; import of poultry banned amid Bird Flu scare

The entire state of Punjab has been declared a 'controlled area' in the wake of the Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) outbreak which is affecting thousands of birds and other poultry in the neighboring states.

According to a statement released by the Punjab government, a complete ban has also been imposed on the import of live birds including poultry or unprocessed meat into the state till January 15. The decision will be reviewed based on the evolving situation, the statement said.

The decisions were taken in consultation with Animal Husbandry Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa in a bid to prevent and control the spread of Avian Influenza.

"These decisions have been taken as per provisions of the act to control scheduled diseases under the Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Diseases in Animals Act, 2009," he added.

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Avian influenza is the disease caused by infection from avian birds - Type A viruses. The viruses are common amongst aquatic birds worldwide and domestic poultry including certain animal species are extremely susceptible to the virus. Avian flu does not normally infect humans. However, sporadic infections with avian flu viruses have been reported in the past. 

With the Health Ministry directing surveillance of the human population to detect any cases of transfer from birds to humans, most state authorities who have been affected by the outbreak have banned the sale of bird meat and eggs as a precautionary measure. 

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States take action against Avian Influenza

Mass culling of birds has also been ordered in states like Kerala which has directed the culling of 48,000 birds. In exchange, the government has vowed to bear the expenses and compensate the farmers for the poultry culled. 

On Friday, the Centre requested states and Union Territories (UTs) to increase awareness regarding the safety of poultry and poultry products and also issued appropriate advisories to restore consumer confidence affected by rumours. Bird Flu has been reported from at least six states including Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, and Gujarat.

Central teams have been deployed to visit the affected states of Kerala, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh for monitoring and for epidemiological investigation.

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(With inputs from agency)