Rapid response teams for Dera Bassi, Kharar

Gaurav Kanthwal

Tribune News Service

Mohali, January 6

The Mohali administration has received an advisory from the Director, Animal Husbandry Department, Punjab, for all zoos, wildlife parks, poultry farms and public in the district in view of the bird flu scare in the region.

In the guidelines for the public, it has stressed that most strains of bird flu are mainly found in respiratory and gastrointestinal tract of the infected bird, and not in the meat.

The department has urged the poultry farmers that ‘’unusual mortality in the farm should be reported to the Animal Husbandry Department immediately.’’

For wholesalers and retailers, it states that waste and used water should not be thrown or spilled in public and in market places.

Mohali ADC Aashika Jain said: “In addition to the Animal Husbandry advisory, the Northern Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (RDDL), Jalandhar, has also sent an advisory regarding the preparedness to prevent the ingress of avian influenza. It has stressed on the readiness of PPE kits, disinfectants and chemicals.”

Dr Sangeeta Toor, Deputy Director, Animal Husbandry Department, Mohali, has constituted rapid response teams (RRT) and posted a nodal officer at the district level. Two teams have been constituted at the tehsil level, one each in Dera Bassi and Kharar. Each team has two doctors, pharmacists and Class IV employees. Officials said sampling has not started yet in the district as they are waiting for further instructions.

“As far as poultry is concerned, the Dera Bassi area has quite a sizable number of farms but otherwise their count is not very high in the district,” said Toor.