Avian influenza also known as the bird flu is a disease that occurs naturally among the wild birds worldwide and can simultaneously infect domestic poultry and other birds and animal species.
The outbreak of this infectious viral disease of birds was reported at various epicenters in nine states and Union Territories during October 2016 and February 2017 in India.
However, the government on Thursday declared the country free from Avian Influenza also called as the bird flu. The countries which banned Indian poultry at that time included the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong.
Under the initiative to free India from this deadly virus the government conducted a surveillance in Delhi, Daman, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Gujarat, Orissa. The result of the surveillance in these states showed no evidence of the presence of bird flu, as per the evidence issued by the Agriculture Ministry.
In view of the surveillance conducted in India, the Indian government has declared itself free from avian influenza (H598 and H5N1) from 6 June 2017 and notified the same to WORLD ORGANISATION for Animal health.
The Ministry in its report stated that the outbreak of highly pathogenic bird flu was reported in Delhi, Gwalior (MP), Rajpura (Punjab), Hissar (Haryana), Bellary (Karnataka), Alappuzha and Kottayam (Kerala), Ahmedabad (Gujarat), Daman and Khordha and Angul (Odisha). All these states were severely affected by influenza.
These outbreaks were notified and the government conducted the control and containment operations to control the outbreak of this virus as per the ‘Action plan on preparedness, control, and containment of Avian Influenza.
However, the government must take initiatives and control the spreading up of such virus in future in order to make India a healthy place to live in free from any diseases. The government must always take relentless efforts to combat the outbreak of such diseases.
