Amaravati, Jan 8 (IANS): At a time when the Andhra Pradesh authorities have been battling the Covid-19 pandemic, the fresh scare of bird flu that has spread its tentacles across various states in the country has pulled down the consumption, price and sale of chickens in the state.

"It is better to avoid chicken until the bird flu mitigates," M. Stanley Prem Kumar, a non-vegetarian food lover, told IANS.

Seediri Appalaraju, Minister for Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries, has directed officials to be prepared to face any eventuality.

He said that if eggs and chicken are cooked properly it will reduce chances of bird flu.

He told the officials to be prepared with the response teams, consisting of a veterinarian doctor, two veterinarian paramedics and two helpers.

As many as 829 response teams including 40 to 140 teams in the districts have been directed to be ready depending on the population of hens in their areas.

Considering that the bird flu is emanating mostly from migratory birds, officials have been asked to arrange special teams in Nellore, Guntur, West Godavari and East Godavari districts.

The state government has also set up control rooms in every district.

However, the officials have not detected any bird flu in the crows which died in Guntur's Kollipora and Srikakulam.

The animal husbandry and forest departments have also been creating awareness among poultry farmers and chicken sellers in the wake of the bird flu cases.