India heedless as avian flu spreads in Pak

Poultry experts feel that the threat of recurrence of the dreaded bird flu is not yet over though it is too late to take any preventive action now.

"The risk of bird flu outbreak could have been averted by vaccinating all the birds on the major routes followed by migratory birds in flying back. But such a measure now would not work as it takes 6 to 8 weeks for the immunity to develop after vaccination", said Poultry Federation of India (PFI) chief Shashi Kapur.

"Now, we can only pray for the country to remain unaffected by this malady," he added.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (bird flu), caused by contagious H5N1 virus, has resurfaced in several countries, including neighbouring Pakistan, since the beginning of 2007.

This has caused global concern over the potential losses to the poultry sector as well as the danger of the H5N1 virus mutating into a form that can afflict human beings with a flu pandemic.

In Pakistan, H5N1 infection was recently detected among the household poultry birds and peacocks in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Mansehra areas. Migratory birds were believed to have been the source of this infection.

Though the disease has been more or less contained in these areas, further spread of the virus through wild birds is not ruled out. This has also posed a threat to India as the birds cannot be prevented from flying across the borders.

Kapur said the peak risk period for the appearance of bird flu in India was over as the migratory winged visitors had begun flying back. But the next 20 to 30 days were still critical, he maintained.

He said the PFI had repeatedly urged the government to take preventive steps by vaccinating the birds in the areas falling in the migratory routes. The government had not offered any reasons for not doing so.

The bird flu outbreak last year and the panic created by it among poultry consumers had crippled the poultry industry. The losses to the industry on this account were estimated at between Rs 15,000 crore and Rs 20,000 crore.