No case of humans getting infected with the bird flu virus has been detected in Bihar so far, a senior state government official said.
"Among the reported cases of suspected or confirmed bird flu, we have not come across with any such incident (of humans getting infected with the virus) so far," Health department Principal Secretary Sanjay Kumar told reporters here.
The first incident of suspected avian influenza was reported from six villages of Asarganj block of Munger district in December.
The state has, so far, found samples positive for bird flu from four places - two places in Munger and one each in Banka and in the zoo in Patna.
"There are chances that the animal husbandry department employees may get affected (with bird flu) as they come in contact with dead birds, but no such incidents have come to our notice," he said.
The officer said it is the responsibility of health department to get one "affected" person tested to ensure whether he or she actually infected with bird flu.
The medicine 'Tamiflu', used for the treatment of the person infected with bird flu, is available in sufficient quantity and the central government has also dispatched more medicines after the incident, Kumar said.
Asked whether the department has issued any guideline for consumption of eggs and chickens, Kumar said, "We have asked people to take precautions."
Earlier on Saturday, Animal and Fish Resources Department had said people can consume eggs and chickens after cooking them above 70 degrees Celsius temperature as the virus get destroyed on this temperature.
"It is safe to consume eggs and chicken because normally they are cooked at very high temperature (beyond 70 degrees) in our households. So there is no need to be panicky," Animal and Fish Resources Department's Secretary N Vijayalakshmi had said.
Around a dozen crows were found dead in an orchard at Chandanpatti village under Sakra block of Muzaffarpur on January 6 while carcasses of eight more crows had been found in the College of Arts and Crafts premises at Patna.
Around 400 chickens were also found dead at a poultry farm in a village in Bikram block of Patna district.
The Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park, popularly known as the Patna zoo, has been closed since December 25 following the death of six peafowls due to H5N1 virus which was confirmed by the Regional Diseases Diagnostic Laboratory, Kolkata, and the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases, Bhopal, zoo officials said.
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