The entire Kishanganj district along with other parts of Purnia division has come under the bird flu havoc. The bird flu scare spreads like wildfire as the districts in the Purnia division have now come under the high alert cover and the authorities have pulled up their socks to tackle the situation. As per sources, the border areas of Kishanganj with neighbouring West Bengal and Nepal are now sealed. The districts of Kishanganj and Purnia are the largest exporters of chicken to distant places in Bihar as well as Jharkhand, hence special care is being taken to prohibit the export of chickens from the two districts.
The sale of chicken and eggs has been banned in Kishanganj, Katihar, Purnia and other districts of the area. At the meantime, the government employees have been asked not to proceed on any leave and teams are being formed to kill the chickens. At the moment, no case of bird flu has surfaced in area, but in consonance with the Union health ministry's advisory, all kinds of precautionary measures are being taken in the districts.
The sufficient quantities of medicine to combat the bird flu scare are available with the sadar hospital. The health officials have been directed to keep a constant watch on the situation. The health officials have detected suspected bird flu cases at Maranga hatchery in Purnia. Accordingly, the culling of chickens was taken up on emergency basis in and around Maranga and three blocks in the district were declared high-risk zones.
Causes of Bird Flu
Bird flu or avian flu is caused by the deadly H5N1 virus that primarily affects wild birds and poultry. The birds shed the virus through their saliva, nasal discharge and feces. They affect some birds while the others are carriers. The symptoms occur rapidly with fever and deterioration of the health of the birds.
Detection of Bird Flu
Bird flu cannot be diagnosed from symptoms alone. It is revealed from laboratory tests conducted on samples of nasal discharge or a swab from the throat of the infected bird. If the infection is suspected late, blood samples are required.
Bird Flu Effect on humans
Bird flu was first detected in humans in 1997 when people came into close contact with infected poultry in Hong Kong. It is suspected that the virus mutates to pass on from human to human, causing fatal illness. The greater the number of infected birds, the greater the chance of the virus spreading to humans.
Symptoms of Bird Flu
The victims of bird flu had been diagnosed with fever, sore throat, cough and serious respiratory infection. Symptoms include headache, muscle ache, chest pain and conjunctivitis. The virus keeps mutating in the human body making it difficult to treat should a relapse occur. The new strain of virus grows resistant to the same treatment. More information can be obtained from the WHO website.
Precautions from Bird Flu
- Wash hands with warm water and soap before handling raw meat and poultry. Also wash hands thoroughly after handling the meat.
- Wash all utensils in hot water and soap to keep other food from getting contaminated.
- When eating out make sure that you eat hot food that is above 160 degrees Fahrenheit and eggs are cooked until the white and yolk are firm.
