Avian influenza — known informally as avian flu or bird flu — refers to “influenza caused by viruses adapted to birds.” Most human contractions of the avian flu are a result of either handling dead infected birds or from contact with infected fluids.
Without involving rural communities in the fight against bird flu, Indonesia will not be able to control the highly contagious disease, which has ravaged millions of poultry and already killed more humans in the archipelago than anywhere else in the world, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned.
A day after the government confirmed the outbreak of bird flu, chicken prices fell by over 20 per cent in Delhi’s wholesale market while eggs became cheaper by Rs 8 per 100 numbers at Barwala in Haryana.
With the Centre confirming an outbreak of the H5N1 strain of bird flu in Manipur, the state government today began culling 1.6 lakh birds within five kilometres of the site where the virus was detected.
Indian Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries notified today an outbreak of Avian Influenza in Chingmeirong Village in East Imphal District of Manipur.
Avian Influenza has been reported in nearly 70 countries across four continents since the present wave commenced in 1997 in Hong Kong. It has exhibited a tendency to re-surface in outbreak countries having recurred in nearly 20 countries out of 25 countries affected in 2007 itself.
The European Commission has been informed by the French and the Austrian authorities of new suspected cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza in wild birds in their territories. Germany has also confirmed the occurrence of disease in Thuringia.
The deadly bird avian flu virus H5N1 has spread to German poultry. A domestic goose died of the bird flu virus H5N1 in the village of Wickersdorf, Germany.
Three swans found dead in eastern France due to H5N1 bird flu virus infection, confirmed by French agriculture ministry. Tests were found positive on swans for deadly avian flu virus.
Despite improvement in the global response to the deadly H5N1 avian influenza over the past few years, the virus remains entrenched in several countries and will continue to spread, the United Nations warned.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned that although the global response to the deadly H5N1 avian influenza virus has significantly improved over the past few years, the virus remains entrenched in several countries and will continue to spread.