Poultry shops in India’s Gorakhpur shut for 21 days due to AI cases
All poultry shops in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, are closed after avian influenza (AI) were detected in bird samples from five city localities.
All poultry shops in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh were asked on May 31 to shut for 21 days following detection of AI H5N1 and H9N2 strains in bird samples from five localities in the city.
Samples were taken at Jhungia Bazar, Alumunium Factory area, Taramandal, Bhagat Chauraha, and Shaheed Ashfaqullah Khan Zoological Park, as reported by Times of India.
These were sent to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) at Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, which confirmed the presence of both strains of the virus.
The Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) activated district-level Rapid Response Teams and set up a control room at the Sadar Veterinary Hospital to handle the outbreak.
Following the confirmation, Additional Municipal Commissioner Nirankar Singh said as per central government guidelines, culling operations have begun within 1km radius of the infected zones.
All live birds within this zone will be culled and disinfection drives are underway there.
Don’t heed to rumors
The CVO appealed to the public not to heed to rumors and to cooperate with the administration.
A total of 1,328 samples from Gorakhpur and 1,470 samples from the Gorakhpur-Basti division were tested during the surveillance exercise.
The AI cases started from Gorakhpur Zoo where four animals (a lion on April 30, leopard Mona on May 8, tigress Shakti on May 7, and a wolf) have so far succumbed to the virus.
The zoo has already been shut for containment measures.
