SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 2024
The spectre of the COVID-19 pandemic has still not dissipated, but Goa has been alerted to the possibility of another disease, and been asked to take precautions. The State has not reported a single case of avian influenza yet, but has already banned the cross border transportation of live birds and poultry products as neighbouring States have already totted up cases of the bird flu. A significant portion of the chicken meat and other poultry products that Goa consumes comes from across the border. For that reason alone the ban on bringing live birds as well as other poultry products had to be imposed to isolate the State from the illness that has already spread to nine states, including Maharashtra which borders Goa.
However, the ban on bringing in poultry products and live birds may not keep Goa safe from the disease. The avian flu is known to be brought by wild birds, especially the migratory ones, and then transmitted to poultry. There are an increasing number of cases in other States, so alertness levels have to be high, especially among wildlife wardens. States have been asked to urgently take up surveillance and monitoring of birds, for any signs of disease and then take appropriate measures for controlling it. State Chief Wildlife Wardens have been sent guidelines relating to the Avian Influenza and been requested for taking immediate steps for containing the spread of the disease. Banning the bringing of poultry products is one step, is Goa monitoring the birds in the State?
The advisories came after some States reported a large number of unusual deaths of birds, not just of the poultry variety but also wild and migratory ones. When tested the birds were found to have been infected by H5N1, a highly pathogenic avian influenza. Interestingly, while this variant was found in Himachal Pradesh, States like Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan are showing the H5N8 variant. Measures suggested include strengthening the biosecurity of poultry farms, disinfection of affected areas, proper disposal of dead birds or carcasses, timely collection and submission of samples for confirmation and further surveillance, intensification of surveillance plan as well as the general guidelines for prevention of disease spread from affected birds to poultry and human.
Alerts from the Central government had come as early as last week warning of the possibility of transmission to humans. A letter to the States from the Inspector General of Forest (WL) cautioned on the seriousness of the situation and the possibility of spread of the disease to humans and other domestic animals or birds. There is need to be careful, as the H5N1 strain has in the past spread from birds to animals, though it is not a very common occurrence. As per the World Health Organisation (WHO), on the rare occasions that avian flu has spread to humans, the mortality rate has been high at about 60 per cent. It therefore pays to be alert to any unnatural dying of birds in large numbers.
Aside from the possibility of human infection, the ban on the live bird and poultry product imports from other States will have a negative economic effect on the poultry farmer in those States and the poultry retailers in Goa. In Kerala thousands of birds have already been culled, leading to huge losses. It is still early to make an informed assessment of the economic losses, but these losses will be there. It will also affect the tourism industry in Goa, as a large portion of the meat consumed in restaurants in Goa is chicken. Goa may not have any cases, but it would be far more prudent to stay alert then to regret later.
