New Delhi, April 5: Amid rising bird flu cases in the country, the Union Government has made registration of poultry farms mandatory and urged the need for increasing surveillance to curb avian influenza.

A high-level meeting in New Delhi, chaired by Alka Upadhyaya, Secretary at the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying set up a three-pronged strategy with stricter biosecurity, surveillance and mandatory registration of poultry farms.

The strategy “encompasses stricter biosecurity measures wherein poultry farms must enhance hygiene practices, control farm access and follow stringent biosecurity protocols to minimise the risk of infection, strengthened surveillance and mandatory registration of poultry farms to enhance disease tracking and control”, stated the ministry.

"All poultry farms must register with state animal husbandry departments within a month. The government has urged poultry industry stakeholders to ensure 100 per cent compliance with this directive,” it added.

"Protecting our poultry sector is critical for food security and rural livelihoods. Strict biosecurity, scientific surveillance, and responsible industry practices are essential in our fight against bird flu," Upadhyaya said.

In addition, she stated the need for developing a predictive modelling system for early warning and environmental surveillance which would enable proactive disease detection and response, minimiing the risk of outbreaks and protecting the poultry industry.

Avian Influenza is a highly infectious viral disease affecting birds, with occasional transmission to mammals. Since its first detection in India in 2006, outbreaks have been reported annually across multiple states.

Notably, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has since January affected eight states -- Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Bihar.

Currently, six active outbreak zones remain in Jharkhand, Telangana, and Chhattisgarh in the country.

Besides poultry, the animal and bird species affected include tiger, leopard, vulture, crow, hawk egret, pet cat, demoiselle crane, painted stork, crow, jungle cat.

Meanwhile, DAHD has permitted the use of the H9N2 (Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza) vaccine, developed by ICAR-NIHSAD, Bhopal, which is now available commercially.

A national study will evaluate the vaccine’s effectiveness of LPAI vaccination. The meeting also extensively discussed the possibility of allowing the use of a vaccine against Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in India.

The meeting recommended conducting detailed science-based assessments to determine the feasibility of HPAI vaccination in India. Research efforts have also been initiated to develop an indigenous HPAI vaccine following global best practices. (IANS)

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