From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, May 8: A State-wide alert on the outbreak of bird flu has been sounded throughout Karnataka following the outbreak of the disease in a privately-owned poultry at Molkera village of Humnabad taluk in Bidar district.

A total of 1.5 lac of chicken of the private farm to be culled to prevent the outbreak of avian influenza (H5N1 virus) to rest of the farms and areas.

Poultry farm owners have instructed to take precautionary measures to prevent infection of chicken with H5N1 virus.

In the case of infection of virus, scientists have advised farm owners not to sell or move any of the birds/eggs and material out of farm.

Farm owners of chicken have been instructed to adopt adequate bio-security measures.

The State has around 7,000 farms, which are both layers and broilers varieties. The farms have stock of more than 5 crore birds.

Karnataka’s daily egg production is about 1.2 crore and the possible outbreak in other parts of the State could have far-reaching consequences, according to officials of the Animal Husbandry Department.

Meanwhile, officials of Karnataka’s Health and Family Welfare Department have appealed to the pubic not to consume chicken infected with H5N1 virus since has the potential to be transmitted from birds to human beings.

Animal Husbandry Minister A Manju, who conducted an emergency meeting with top officials of the Department on Sunday, told reporters in Bengaluru that the outbreak of bird flu was found in the farm owned by Ramesh Gupta. Already 23,000 chicken of the farm had died owing to the disease, the minister said. He said the State Government would provide suitable compensation to the farmer immediately after culling was carried out.

The minister said the State Government has decided to cull poultry birds within a km radius of the infected farm.

Doctors and scientists of Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary, Biologicals, Bengaluru, visited the private farm in Bidar village and collected the samples for testing. The samples were tested at National Institute High Security Animal Diseases, Bhopal, and samples tested positive for H5N1, the minister said.

A team of experts would oversee the process of culling and preventive measures being taken to contain its spread.

Scientists have informed Ramesh Gupta not to sell or move any of the birds/eggs out of farm to prevent the spread of the disease.

An expert team comprising Joint Director IAH&VB has been constituted to visit Bidar and take all suitable measures to control and keep ready all the required materials, Rapid Response Team for culling birds and for sanitation.

"There is no panic as there are no others farms in the village,’’ the minister said and maintained that the State Government was keen to prevent the spread of the bird flu menace to other parts of the State.