Sunday, February 19, 2006

Bird Flu in India

eBy the by our Jo has singed an beautiful song Visit here


After flurry many countries, finaly the Bird Flu has arrived to India. In space of less than a year, the lethal strain of bird flu known as H5N1 has swept out of its strongholds in eastern Asia and spread swiftly to Russia, Europe, Africa, and West Asia. On Saturday, laboratory tests confirmed that the virus had arrived in India with an outbreak that killed 100’s of chicken in Nandurbar district of Maharashtra. For more than two years, the virus has ravaged poultry and caused human illness (and death) in many South-East Asian countries. Between April and June 2005, large numbers of wild water birds at Qinghai Lake in western China perished after being infected by the virus. By July-August, outbreaks involving the virus were reported from Mongolia, Siberia, and Kazakhstan. The virus reached Turkey, Croatia, Romania, and Greece by October. Ukraine reported outbreaks in November 2005.

The virus was infecting chicken and humans in northern Iraq by January this year. Earlier this month, Nigeria became the first African nation to report the virus, with an outbreak at a large commercial poultry farm. This month, many European countries, Egypt, and Iran found wild birds infected with H5N1. Migratory birds have often been blamed for spreading the virus. This perception has grown as the H5N1 viral strains involved in recent outbreaks, including in Nigeria, have been found to be very similar to the one found at the Qinghai Lake. At least some species of migratory waterfowl are now thought to be carrying the H5N1 in its highly pathogenic form and introducing it to new areas along their route, says the World Health Organization in its fact sheet on avian influenza.

Some months back I haveWritten that Bird Flu will attack India? Now it attacked India.

In India, the source of the infection that led to the outbreak in Nandurbar district is not clear. Bird migrations into the country were over by around November. If migratory birds had brought the virus, one would have expected outbreaks well before this. Moreover, such outbreaks ought to have occurred at places further north that the birds would have reached earlier. The wild birds would now be preparing to return to their spring breeding grounds. The Bombay Natural History Society's (BNHS) members and staff have been monitoring some 26 wetlands across the country on a fortnightly basis and had not reported any suspicious illness among wild birds. But now that H5N1 has arrived in India, the danger is that the virus could rapidly spread to poultry flocks across the country and beyond. Bird flu viruses can be readily transported from farm to farm by the movement of live birds, people, and contaminated vehicles, equipment, feed and cages, according to the WHO fact sheet on avian influenza. Highly pathogenic viruses such as the H5N1 can survive for long periods in the environment, especially when temperatures are low, it adds.

Although the Central and State Governments acted as soon as the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory at Bhopal confirmed the H5N1 infection in poultry in Nandurbar district, the outbreak is reported to have started a couple of weeks ago. If so, it is possible that the virus has already been carried out of the region in the course of the commercial trade in poultry. The massive cull and quarantine that has been ordered may not then suffice to stop the spread of the virus. The Indian helath Minister Anbumani has said samples of bird flu virus in humans, sent for re-confirmation to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Reference Laboratory in Hong Kong. The government said, all action are taken, there is no need to panic, If any have symptoms like fever or cold, immediately go to doctors. The neighboring countries like Sri Lanka, Nepal… have banned for importing Birds and Chicken. All vehicle coming form Maharashtra have been check and then only allowed to other states.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

ths is bad news for india, but is this good news for medical companies?

Devilish Angel said...

Informative...

Jo said...

Thanks for the link to my blog man. :-)

Jeevan said...

Manoj – sure they will get benefit from this, but I pray this virus should not spread.

Vanathi – Thanks :)

Ammu – Thanks friend, sure will try by best.

Jo - :))

Kuntal Joisher said...

man.. During this whole bird flu throughout the world.. there have been tons and tons of chickens killed all over.. And never once have I heard anyone think about them!!!!!!! Such pathetic attitude by humans..

Only if no one ate chickens and there was no chicken farming.. we would not be wondering about things like bird flu..

When will we humans stop being speciesist and start thinking more about animals and environment around..

ashok said...

u r frightening me man...

Jeevan said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Jeevan said...

Kunsjoi - i really expect this comment from u friend. It is very sad to kill the Chickens.

Ashok - dont fear man, they will solve this problem.

Jeevan said...

Karthik - Thanks man, Welcome to my blog.:)

ashok said...

Chicken and I go a long way.

In college I was desperately trying to woo a girl who was a vegetarian. She told me if I wanted to marry her I would have to give up chicken.My answer was short and crisp: "I can leave you but not chicken." Obviously, I did not marry her but she did marry someone who eventually gave up chicken for her.

I just cannot fathom how anyone can foresake chicken?

After the first case of bird flu struck Maharashtra last weekend, I have had many people ask me if I am still eating chicken?
'Poultry products are safe to eat'
'Yes,' I declare with confidence.
'Are you not worried about bird flu?' they ask in surprise. I counter their question by asking, 'For what?'
I don't understand why we middle class Indians get so hassled on hearing about such diseases.

I have eaten chicken in some of the most basic and n-fancy restaurants and let me assure you they cook the best chicken in the world. Better -- on any given day -- than the five star hotels of the world.

If I were to look at the hygiene in these very basic restaurants I probably wouldn't take the next bite but I eat it all with relish, without giving a thought to the ambience or bothering too much about the level of cleanliness.

I feel chicken is chicken. If it is well made in proper masala and other ingredients, it is one of the best dishes -- irrespective of where you cook it.The problem with us is that bird flu is in our mind. We try to give too much importance to it than required.

Poultry owner vents ire on media
When I visited America last year, I realised that Americans are a pampered class. In their society hygienic living conditions and cleanliness are extremely important and the fear of falling ill is a big problem for them.

We in India are not like them. Indians are not Americans. We don't fret endlessly about such things. The chalta hai (casual) attitude has always been our way of life, so why are we getting so hyper if some birds have died in Nandurbar district in Maharashtra?

In our country, we have never bothered about such issues before, so why are we worrying so much now? Moreover, I am very sceptical about the official reasons given for the spread of bird flu.

There are reports that migratory birds spread the virus. My question is if migratory birds spread the infection, then it should have first struck the coastal towns in Gujarat where they first land and not in Nandurbar, the district in Maharashtra which borders Gujarat.

Talking of hygiene, take the example of Mumbai city. There are roadside vendors who sell the best tea -- called Cutting Chai in small glasses. Those cups are dirty, not washed properly and sometimes you even find lip marks on the rim of the cup of other people -- but still we go and drink cutting.

Will you still eat your chicken?
The doctors have been saying if chicken and eggs are heated at more than 70 degree centigrade there is no fear of the virus killing you -- so why do we get worried?

So what is the fuss about bird flu?
Why make a fuss? Why talk of giving it up?
And what about eggs? How can I give that up?
I have been eating an egg almost every day since I was a kid. Without eating chicken and eggs, I cannot see myself leading a normal life.

I hope the government does not ban the eating of chicken.


by Syed Firdaus Ashraf

Anonymous said...

Hi, I was out blogging and found your site. It certainly got my attention and interest. I was looking for Harnesses information and even though this isn't a perfect match I enjoyed your site. Thanks for the read!