Residents of Dharamsala are Worried About a Potential Bird Flu Outbreak During the Migratory Season

During the migratory season which will be witness to hundreds of migratory birds,the residents of Dharamsala are concerned about a potential bird flu outbreak.

The area around the Pong Dam in Himachal Pradesh is a center of attraction for migratory birds.

People in the area don't feel safe with the arrival of the birds. They are scared about being infected with the deadly H5N1 virus is real.

"The Government should test the birds that have come here. We are apprehensive if they have got the virus. We are running a small business. If the virus spreads here, then our business will be ruined," Dharam Chand, a villager.

As per the counting till January 7, over 1, 14,000 birds of different 74 species have come here this year and the number is increasing every year.

"The Central Government has decided a regimen under which the department of animal husbandry collected the droppings of these birds and sent the samples to the government approved laboratories. I am happy to say that till now there is no report of any positive sample," said Sameer Rastogi, a wild-life conservator.

Bird flu first broke out in India in 2006 and millions of chicken and ducks were culled to contain the virus. Although it has resurfaced from time to time, there have been no reports of any human infections in India.

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Source-ANI
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