Kolkata, Feb. 14 -- The Bengal government, on Friday, imposed a restriction on poultry imports from the three districts of Andhra Pradesh for the next three months in the wake of the bird flu outbreak there.
Bengal Animal Resources Development Minister Swapan Debnath earlier in the day said that his department was aware of the situation.
"We were aware of the situation and kept a strict vigil," Debnath told media earlier on Friday. Ever since the outbreak took place in Andhra Pradesh, there have been growing concerns over the potential impact of the outbreak of avian influenza in Andhra Pradesh on West Bengal's poultry sector as it sources eggs from
Andhra Pradesh.
The West Bengal Poultry Federation earlier assured that stringent surveillance had been in place since November last year to prevent the virus from entering the state. The outbreak has also started affecting poultry sales in Bengal, with markets witnessing fewer buyers.
As a result, chicken prices have dropped to Rs 180-200 per kg, down from Rs 220. Despite the decline in prices, demand remains weak as uncertainty over the virus persists, traders said.
State government has already directed the poultry farms to initiate treatment if any suspected cases are found and precautions must be taken to check transmission of virus to unaffected cheeks of the farms.
There is a risk of virus transmission among those who handle birds, but experts do not see any risk in consuming cooked poultry meat, as the virus gets killed in extreme heat.
According to doctors, bird flu is common during this period, but the virus generally does not transmit to humans.
The Andhra Pradesh government has intensified efforts to control the spread of bird flu in three districts of the state.
Chief Secretary K Vijayanand of Andhra Pradesh has assured the public that there is no need for panic, as the government is taking all necessary steps to contain the outbreak.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.