Avian influenza or bird flu was found in three pet cats and in a live bird in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara.
In a statement, the health ministry said, “Avian Influenza (H5N1) found in three pet cats and in a live bird.”
Consequent upon the notification of Avian Influenza in three pet cats and in a live bird market in Chhindwara of Madhya Pradesh on the 31st January by the department of animal husbandry, necessary public health measures were instituted, it said.
The Ministry said the State was requested to initiate control and containment operations as per the ‘Action Plan of Animal Husbandry for Prevention, Control, and Containment of Avian Influenza (2021). All the birds in the entire live bird market were culled and the market closed for a period of 21 days from the date of issue of sanitization certificate.
“Necessary actions, as outlined in the Action Plan of the Animal Husbandry Department were initiated. Necessary measures laid down in the Contingency Plan (2005) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India were also initiated,” it said.
Informing that 65 human samples from the vets, other contacts and people working in the live bird market were collected and sent to NIV Pune for testing on 10th February, the Ministry said all were found negative for influenza.