There is no respite from the bird flu, it seems, as the H5N8 virus has spread to Punjab for the first time. Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi are said to be the most affected from the latest outbreak of the killer disease for birds.?
According to experts, human beings generally remain unaffected by the H5N8 strain. The Kerala government has assured to make sure that the virus does not spread any further. The biggest outbreak in Kerala has been among the ducks that used to inhabit the water-logged region of Kuttanad in Alappuzha district.?
BCCL
The H5N8 strain affecting birds in India, is a highly pathogenic strain that causes severe clinical signs and high mortality rates in birds. A highly pathogenic strain of H5N8 was detected in 2014 in Asia in poultry species in the Republic of Korea, Japan and in China.
"Animals which have been culled as a result of control measures in response to an outbreak of avian influenza, including the A (H5N8) virus, should not enter the food and feed chain as a precautionary and regulatory measure," reports the World Organisation for Animal Health.
"There is no evidence to suggest that the consumption of poultry meat or eggs could transmit the AI virus to humans."?
BCCL
According to a senior Animal Husbandry department official it may take at least 45 days to declare the zoo as completely safe and can be opened for visitors.
The test results of samples sent from Ghazipur Murga Mandi have reportedly come back as "negative".
Although the Delhi government has issued a health advisory requesting people not to consume uncooked or half-cooked chicken or eggs.?