Bird flu detected in Daman; poultry items banned for a month

Daman: Two samples of chicken were found positive for H5N1 bird flu in Kadaiya village in Daman district following which the administration has prohibited import, sale and storage of poultry products, and banned restaurants from serving chicken and egg products for a month. The Daman district in the Union Territory of Daman and Diu has been declared as “surveillance zone” and Kadaiya village panchayat an “infected area” after bird flu was detected, officials said on Sunday. “Due to positive sample of H5N1 (bird flu/avian influenza), the Kadaiya village area is hereby notified as ‘infected area’ and the whole Daman district is notified as ‘surveillance zone’ for a period of 30 days till 7 February, 2017,” said a notification issued by district administration. [caption id=“attachment_3193810” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Reuters[/caption] “In pursuance of probability of H5N1 in Daman district, the import, sale and storage of all poultry product particularly eggs, chicken, ducks, etc, are prohibited for a period of 30 days upto 7 February, 2017,” another order said. “Samples of two chicken tested positive for H5N1 bird flu aviation influenza, after which we issued the above order last night itself. All shops selling poultry products have been closed, and teams of Excise, transport, food inspector, along with senior officials of the district administration are out to ensure that the order is implemented effectively,” said J B Singh, adviser to administrator, Daman and Diu. Daman Deputy Collector Karanjit Vadodariya said the district administration met last evening and took the decision to this effect. “A rapid response team has also been mobilised,” Vadodariya said. Experts from Union Health Ministry had yesterday taken stock of situation at Hathijan village in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad district where over 1,400 birds were culled following the death of Guinea Fowls, brought from Mumbai, due to birdflu.