A bird flu warning has been issued by Animal Husbandry Department in Madhya Pradesh after the presence of the virus was reported in dead crows at Indore and more avian deaths in other districts. State Animal husbandry Minister Prem Singh Patel said officials have been told to keep a special watch on markets selling poultry and poultry products, farms, reservoirs and sites of migratory birds. AIR correspondent reports, Animal Husbandry Minister Prem Singh Patel said that the state's Rapid Response Team is setting up a Control Room in Indore, where avian influenza (Bird Flu) has been detected in the samples of dead crows.

The Mandsaur authorities in Madhya Pradesh have ordered the shops selling chicken and eggs to remain closed for 15 days over the bird flu the presence of which was detected in scores of crows in the state. The decision was taken after the bird flu was detected in crows prompting the authorities to sound a bird flu alert and ordering the chicken and egg shops to remain closed for 15 days.

So far from December 23, the state witnessed deaths of 142 crows in Indore, 100 in Mandsaur, 112 in Agar-Malwa, 13 in Khargone and nine in Sehore district. Their samples were sent to the National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) in Bhopal for analysis.

Indore Chief Medical and Health Officer Poornima Gadaria informed that earlier about 50 crows were found dead on the campus of Daly College at Indore. They were found to be carrying the H5N8 virus.

Suspicious cases of Bird Flu have been reported in 10 more districts in Rajasthan in the last 24 hours. Cases of bird deaths due to suspicious Bird Flu have been reported in eighteen districts of the state so far.  It was reported that deaths of crows and other birds have been reported in Hanumangarh, Nagaur, Banswara, Sikar, Sawai Madhopur, Jaisalmer, Ajmer and Bhilwara districts. Samples from all these districts have been sent to Bhopal for investigation.

In view of the increasing cases of Bird Flu, top government officials have come into action. Chief Secretary Niranjan Arya will hold a meeting with top officials of the Animal Husbandry, Forest and Health Department this evening.

Several important decisions are expected to be taken in the meeting. The government has started control rooms at the state level and all district headquarters. All the officials of the Forest Department and Health Department have been ed by the government.

Story Input: India Today