The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The Special Assistant to the CA for Fisheries and Livestock Ministry Manik Lal Samaddar yesterday said that the spread of Avian Influenza in Bangladesh's poultry sector was not much alarming than the neighbouring India.

He said the government has taken adequate steps to combat the spread of bird flu.

At a press briefing yesterday at the Ministry conference room Samaddar informed newsmen that bird flu has so far affected some 3,26,844 chickens in 48 thanas in 29 districts and six metropolitan cities.

All the affected chickens from 93 poultry farms were culled by the Livestock Department, he said.

The Special Assistant said the Livestock Ministry is coordinating with Health Ministry to check spreading of the avian influenza to human body. "If people are affected with avian influenza, it would create hindrance to manpower export," he observed.

Samaddar said the livestock department is monitoring the situation at the field level and taking prompt action against the spread of the avian influenza in both government and private poultry farms.

He said the government has already alerted BDR so that poultry birds, eggs and equipment could not enter the country from India.

Some 11 spray centres have been operating at the entry points of the borders where the incoming vehicles are being sprayed as part of preventive measures, he said.

The Special Assistant informed that a special ward has already been opened to examine the virus in human body at the Institute of Diseases and Chest Hospital in the city.

Some 803 people were sent to hospital for testing avian influenza but the virus was not detected in their bodies.

Samaddar requested owners of poultry farms to come forward to tackle the situation saying that it is not possible to overcome the situation alone by the government.

Secretary to the Fisheries and Livestock Ministry Syed Ataur Rahman, Director General of the Livestock Department Sunil Chandra Ghosh and Prof Mahmudur Rahman of Ministry of Health were present, among others, at the briefing.

Meanwhile, the government has discouraged citizens from buying poultry and poultry products until further instruction.

The ferrying of poultry birds in the capital has already been banned.

In the wake of spread of the deadly bird flu virus, the Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) yesterday requested the city dwellers not to buy any fowls from hawkers.

Besides, the DCC suggested the city dwellers to keep children away from fowls as precautionary measures.

The government has taken precautionary measures in the wake of massive spread of bird flu in the Indian state of West Bengal. In spite of it, avian influenza affected chickens have been detected in 26 districts of the country. In such a situation, special precautionary measures have been taken in the capital.

Apart from stopping selling of fowls visiting door-to-door, the DCC has called upon the city dwellers not to allow the sellers to enter their houses.

The DCC also requested the city dwellers to contact with the Civil Surgeon offices or Live Stock offices if any affected chicken or bird is found.