The advisory mentioned that access to farms should be restricted, and stringent hygiene protocols, including the use of disinfectant footbaths and protective clothing, should be enforced. The Centre has asked all states and Union Territories to undertake several preventive measures in the wake of four states reporting cases of the H5N1 virus. The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) and the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) issued a joint advisory on H5N1 for all states on May 20.
All states have been advised to orient all healthcare workers and private practitioners on case definitions, signs, and symptoms of Avian influenza or bird flu. It has also asked states to be vigilant for any unusual deaths amongst the domestic birds/poultry, and if observed, to share the information immediately with the Department of Animal Husbandry so that public health action can be initiated as per the national action plan for Avian influenza. States have been asked to strengthen biosecurity measures in all poultry establishments, zoos, and markets, after conducting a thorough assessment.
Comprehensive biosecurity assessments on all poultry farms have been recommended. The advisory mentioned that access to farms should be restricted, and stringent hygiene protocols, including the use of disinfectant footbaths and protective clothing, should be enforced. Measures to prevent contact between wild birds and domestic poultry should be implemented, it said.
States have been ask.
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