Panel to decide on poultry vaccination

The department of animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries has constituted a technical committee to look into the need to import vaccines for poultry to prevent bird flu.

If the committee finds vaccination important, the department may consider importing the drug. As part of a surveillance exercise conducted by the department not a single sample tested positive.

"We are extremely vigilant and taking necessary steps. All the state authorities have been alerted to report any incidence of more than average mortality in poultry or symptoms of undiagnosed diseases. We are taking as many as 1,000 random samples each month," said PMA Hakeem, secretary, animal husbandry and dairying (AHD).