Locality in Rajasthan’s Jhalawar town under curfew after crows die of bird flu

Authorities in Rajasthan’s Jhalawar town have imposed a curfew in a one-km radius after it was confirmed that 50 crows had died of bird flu recently.

Meanwhile, death of crows has also been reported from Jodhpur.

Jhalawar District Collector Ngikya Gohain has also instructed the Commissioner, Jhalawar Municipal Council to sanitise the affected area and close poultry and eggs shops there after the curfew was imposed Wednesday evening.

After the death of over 50 crows in the Radi ke balaji temple in Jhalawar town on December 25, a joint team of wildlife department and animal husbandry department had inspected the area and sent samples to the National High Security Animal Disease Laboratory (NHSADL) in Anand Nagar, Bhopal for testing.

“Avian influenza (Bird flu) has been found to be the cause of the death of the crows,” District Collector, Jhalawar, Ngikya Gohain said.

“We have imposed zero mobility zone in one-km area around Radi ke balaji temple from Wednesday evening till further orders in view of public health. We have also invoked Section 144 of the CrPC to maintain peace,” he said.

Gohain has formed a fast action team to contain the bird flu. The team comprises the Deputy Conservator, Sub divisional magistrate, Deputy SP, Joint Director, Animal Husbandry department, Chief Medical and Health Officer and Commissioner, Jhalawar Municipal Council.

The action team would ensure compliance of the Influenza Action Plan 2015. Survey and sampling of the nearby poultries and area by the joint director, animal husbandry department will be conducted.

“Bird flu can also spread to humans and animals so efforts are being done to check the spread of this disease,” Chief Medical and Health Officer, Jhalawar, Dr Sajid Khan said.

Over half a dozen migratory black kites birds had also died in Kota last month due to uncertain reasons.

Deputy Conservator of forest, Alok Gupta said the report on the death of the blacks kite is awaited from IVRI Bareilly. “Avian influenza less likely to be cause of black kites since no further deaths were reported,” he said

Meanwhile, mass death of crows has also been reported in the Jodhpur city also in the last few days. The carcasses were seen in Choupasani housing board society area and other areas.

Sambhar Lake near Jaipur had witnessed deaths of around 18,000 birds in November-December last year due to avian botulism, a fatal illness that affects the nerves.

Avian botulism, a neuromuscular illness caused by a toxin that is produced by bacteria, has been recognized as a major cause of mortality in wild birds since the 1900s.