Mumbai: Avian Influenza Likely to Cause Shortage of Eggs

Reports indicate that Mumbai and Pune may face a shortage of eggs over the next few days as a consequence of avian influenza being reported in 21 out of 29 layer poultry farms at Navapur in the Nandurbar district. This outbreak has prompted authorities to cull poultry birds in 25 farms. The total number of culled birds now stands at over six lakh.

Speaking to TOI, Maharashtra Animal Husbandry Commissioner, Sachindra Pratap Singh said - “Of the 29 layer poultry farms in Navapur, two don’t have birds and are closed. Two, with around four lakh poultry birds, are unaffected. Of the remaining 25 layer poultry farms, 21 were affected with avian influenza, while eight cases from four remaining units were sent for tests recently. But even if some are negative, birds in the remaining four farms will be culled to break the chain of infection. Around 50,000 remaining birds are expected to be culled by Sunday.”

Read - Avian Influenza: All You Need To Know

Fears of avian influenza, classified as H5N1, has recently seen an uptick in India. As per data provided by the World Health Organization (WHO), around 861 cases of human infections were detected between 2013 and 2019. 455 of these people have reportedly died. 

It is worth pointing out that almost all cases of H5N1 infection in people have come from those who were in close contact with the affected poultry or birds. This means that human to human transmission of H5N1 is fairly rare. However, people working at poultry farms are in danger of getting infected. 

Also read - Maharashtra: 289 More Birds Found Dead; Tally Reaches 18,700

Since the first human case of H5N1 was detected in 1997, around 60% of the affected people have died around the world as per official data.

Despite the deadly consequences of bird flu infection among humans, WHO has maintained that eating eggs and chicken are considered safe as long as they’re cooked properly. Cooking chicken meat or eggs at more than 70 degrees Celsius kills the H5N1 virus. 

Read - Over 19,000 Deaths Of Various Birds Reported In Maharashtra