Bird flu

Photo: AFP

Bird flu has not only created health hazards but also made a very unfavourable impact on the rural economy, where thousands of affected chickens have been culled to prevent possible transmission of the decease to humans.
Though the farm chickens are the main source of bearing germs through which bird flu is penetrating into the country, the migrated birds may have played a vital role in this respect. Border points are the most unprotected and exposed areas for easy spreading of the deadly disease.
By this time thousands of chickens have been culled in the farms and many preventative methods have been applied to stop further infection.
The government's immediate steps to control possible aggravation is well recognised but what we observe is lack of appropriate initiative in the process of alerting the local people on the possible hazards. There is still a strong belief that this bird flu cannot be transmitted to local chickens and other types of local birds.
Therefore we strongly feel that the government's livestock dept. should immediately take appropriate steps to print easily understandable pictorial displays and circulate the same all over the country in an easy and simple language to make people aware of the hazard and its consequential effects on humans and livestock, especially on home birds and other pet animals. Under no circumstances should the dead or culled chickens be sold in the market. The government should also arrange basic training for the farm owners on the hazard and its management.