Amid bird flu scare, chicken, egg shops ordered to stay closed for 15 days

India: The Mandsaur authorities in Madhya Pradesh have ordered the shops selling chicken and eggs to remain closed for 15 days over the bird flu the presence of which was detected in scores of crows in the state.

The decision was taken after the bird flu was detected in crows prompting the authorities to sound a bird flu alert and ordering the chicken and egg shops to remain closed for 15 days.

So far, Mandsaur has reported the deaths of 100 crows.

A bird flu alert was sounded in Madhya Pradesh after the presence of the bird flu virus was found in dead crows in Indore and more avian deaths were reported in other districts, said officials on Monday.

Animal Husbandry Minister Prem Singh Patel said the state’s Rapid Response Team is setting up a control room in Indore, where avian influenza (bird flu) has been detected in the samples of dead crows.

The official said from December 23, 2020, to January 3, 2021, Madhya Pradesh witnessed the deaths of 142 crows in Indore, 100 in Mandsaur, 112 in Agar-Malwa, 13 in Khargone, and nine in Sehore district.

An outbreak of bird flu has been reported from some parts of Kottayam and Alappuzha districts, prompting authorities to order the culling of ducks, hens, and other domestic birds in and around a one km radius of the affected areas.

On Tuesday, the Kerala government declared bird flu as a state disaster.

It was confirmed in Kottayam’s Neendoor panchayat after roughly 1,650 ducks on a farm died of the disease. However, it is less likely to spread as it is an isolated area. Eight teams of five members were deployed in the district for taking preventive actions.