Bird flu alert in Gujarat: More samples from birds despatched for checks

With over 60 crow carcasses present in South and Central Gujarat on Thursday and Friday, the Animal Diseases Investigation Office (ADIO) of Vadodara and Surat have picked samples of native birds in view of the current avian flu outbreak. While the ADIO Vadodara has collected a complete of 450 samples from the town, animal husbandry departments in Surat and Navsari are probing the reason for demise of the birds from corvid household.
In Vadodara, the ADIO has collected near 450 samples, together with these of migratory birds from Vadhwana lake close to Dabhoi in addition to Sayajibaug zoo within the metropolis. On Thursday night, 25 carcasses of crows have been present in Vasantpura village in Savli district.
Dr Narendra Parmar of ADIO Vadodara, stated, “We have collected both oropharyngeal and cloacal swabs of 158 birds and blood samples of close to 270 locally. These include peacocks, poultry birds, parrots, ducks, crows and sparrows. The samples have been sent to Ahmedabad for testing and the results are expected within 15 days. For more urgent reports of mortality of crows, we have sent samples of about six to the Bhopal Animal diseases laboratory and the report will be with us in a couple of days.”
Parmar stated that though the investigative report of the native birds will take about two weeks to be out there, there isn’t a motive to fret until birds present indicators of flu.

Meanwhile, the administration of the VMC-run Sayajibaug zoo, which has a big inhabitants of birds and is understood for its aviary part, has collected each faecal and cloacal swabs of 15 birds like parrots and peahens.
Curator Dr Pratyush Patankar stated, “We have collected these samples on our own and sent them to the ADIO. However, they will also come to visit the zoo on Monday and collect oropharyngeal swabs if needed. Generally, birds in captivity are not known to catch influenza but if that happens then as per the protocol of the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), the birds should be isolated and the veterinary protocol followed. In case they are required to be culled, then that will have to be done too.”
The forest division officers of Tapi district accompanied by animal husbandry medical doctors, reached an open plot in Virpur village close to Arts and Commerce College, in Valod taluka, on Friday afternoon and located carcasses of 23 crows and two cranes. The carcass of 21 crows was within the deteriorated state whereas two deaths have been contemporary. The veterinary division officers packed the 2 new carcasses of crows to ship it to Bhopal for additional diagnostic investigations.
Similarly, the veterinary division officers of Surat, discovered the carcass of 17 crows on the banks of Mindola river in Bardoli taluka. The officers discovered three crows died not too long ago whereas others have been a number of days older. The veterinary medical doctors and forest officers had discovered carcasses of 18 crows together with three current ones from a reserve forest space at Atgam village in Valsad district. One pattern was despatched to Bhopal laboratory.
Assistant director of Animal Husbandry division Surat, Dr Abrar Usmani stated, “We have sent samples of the carcass of crows found from Tapi, Bardoli and Valsad to Bhopal laboratory, while remaining carcass were scientifically disposed of by us. We are waiting for the report.”