Bird flu warning

During the winter of 2004, the scare created over the bird flu menace had caused huge losses not only to the Rs 30,000-crore Indian poultry industry, the fourth largest in the world, but also to the entire downstream food chain.

But the real danger then was extremely low. Today, however, the situation is very different. A highly virulent form of the avian influenza virus, called H5N1, has been detected in birds in Russia, Kazakhstan and some Asian countries and, what is worse, it has spread even to wild birds whose movements cannot be curbed.

Consequently, India, along with the other countries lying in the route of the migratory birds, runs the real risk of introduction of this dreadful scourge through these annual winged visitors. Mercifully, it is still only a threat and the infection has not yet been traced anywhere in the country.

There is, therefore, no need for panic among the public, but the poultry industry and the government authorities need to sit up and be warned. For, any lapse on their part can turn this threat into a reality. What is even more worrisome is that the highly contagious H5N1 virus can be communicated to humans and can be fatal to them as well.

Exposure to infected poultry or other infected birds and their faeces or even dust or soil contaminated with their faeces can result in human infection. The less virulent forms of avian flu virus, such as H9 and H7, have existed in India's neighbourhood, including Pakistan, for decades but have not created too many problems.

That's partly because they have low chances of being transmitted to humans, at least not at all through cooked food. So far as the H5N1 virus is concerned, human to human transfer of the bird flu infection has not been detected anywhere so far, but the chances of that happening cannot be ruled out entirely. For, like many other viruses, the H5N1 virus can also potentially adapt itself through mutation in human bodies and become communicable between humans.

Significantly, thanks to the alertness of the global bodies, notably the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the countries at risk have been forewarned and they have time to act. What is needed is to step up surveillance of domestic poultry and wild birds, especially at the points where migratory birds are likely to come in contact with commercial and game birds like ducks.

Besides, as suggested by the FAO, close contacts between humans, domestic poultry and wildlife should be reduced and closely monitored in the danger-prone areas. Vaccination of poultry could also be considered in at-risk situations.

However, since the threat is through birds that travel freely between countries, international action is more important than merely national level campaigns. It is good that the FAO, along with the World Animal Health Organisation, has already developed a strategy for the control of avian influenza in Asia under the Global Framework for the Control of Transboundary Diseases (GFTADs).

It involves surveillance, diagnosis and disease control measures, including vaccination, in the threatened countries. But regrettably, the funds needed for its effective implementation are not forthcoming in the desired measure.

So far, the donors have reportedly pledged only around $25 million, against the required $100 million. It will be a pity if the global community cannot muster even such a small sum to ward off a menace that can potentially cause damage worth billions of dollars.