On Tuesday, January 26, the officials informed that the tally of dead birds in Maharashtra reached 18,700 with 289 more birds dying across several parts of the state.
Meanwhile, the samples of these birds have been sent to the Bhopal-based laboratory to find out whether they were infected by the avian influenza pathogen. According to reports, the official further informed, "out of these 289 birds, 260 were poultry birds while others are herons, parrots, crows, etc.” further adding that “51,090 poultry birds, eight ducks, 38,798 eggs and 55,476 kg poultry feed have been destroyed until now in the infected zones in Maharashtra.”
On the other hand, Mumbai’s civic body, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had earlier received 1,795 complaints of bird deaths from different parts of the city in Mumbai. As per reports, these complaints include deaths of crows, pigeons, and other birds. However, according to the BMC, no deaths of chicken have been reported yet. As of now, the island city has reported two confirmed bird flu deaths.
Bird flu, also known as avian flu, is different from that of the virus which affects humans, called the common flu. Reports state that besides birds, this flu also affects pigs, cats, and other animals. It is transmitted mainly from chickens and ducks and cases were first traced in China, in 1996. A few cases were reported in humans, in Hong Kong, in 1997. Since then, the disease has spread to about 50 countries. In 2013, a team of researchers found a new strain of bird flu in China called H7N9.
Share
Tweet
