IMPHAL, Jul 29: Even as the state veterinary and animal husbandry department intensified bird culling operations today, one of the workers at the Chingmeirong poultry farm where the bird flu outbreak took place has fallen ill.Doctors at both JN and RIMS hospitals, where the 40-year worker, an elder brother of the poultry farm owner, was successively admitted last night, were unconvinced that he was suffering from avian influenza, and in fact declined to admit him to the isolation wards being maintained at both hospitals.
35,000 birds including chickens and ducks were culled by the 34 RRTs deployed today at 30 separate localities in the greater Imphal areas.The intensified bird cullingt operations were supervised by the central team led by AB. Negi, joint commissioner, department of veterinary and animal Husbandry, dairying and fisheries, Union ministry of agriculture, who have been camping in the state since the middle of the month.
Health directorate sources, confirming this, said there were no symptoms of bird flu among the employees but they are still being kept for the further examination.The sources added that most areas within the 5 Kms radius zone have been covered in the course of house to house surveillance since last fours days by health department teams, but so far not a single indication of humans suffering from bird flu symptoms have been found. Their surveillance will continue for the next few days.Meanwhile, several veterinary officials from other North Eastern states have reached Manipur to assist the efforts to contain bird flu. Among them, K.C. Bhutia joint secretary, in the government of Sikkim has arrived in Imphal today while four officials of Meghalaya veterinary department are also due to reach the state capital.
Sikkim Served Fresh Daily
