GUWAHATI: The Assam State Zoo on Friday banned poultry meat because of the avian influenza outbreak, commonly known as bird flu across the country. Confirmed cases of bird flu have been reported from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, and many other states.
Although bird flu has not been reported in Assam, but as a precautionary measure, the Zoo authorities have stopped serving poultry meat.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has already alerted all the states and has asked them to take measures against the bird flu outbreak.
The Assam State Zoo authorities have put a ban on the import of poultry concerning the outbreak after many states in the country reported outbreaks of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in poultry, crows and migratory birds. The authorities have increased the monitoring in the premises for any kind of symptoms.
The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying has also set up a control room in New Delhi to keep watch on the situation and to take stock on a daily basis of preventive and control measures undertaken by the state authorities. It is to be mentioned that Haryana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Punjab stepped up surveillance and formed guidelines following the outbreak of the viral infection in neighboring states.
