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Avoid panic about bird flu

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  • Avoid panic about bird flu

    Avoid panic about bird flu

    Md. Sazedul Islam

    People should not be worried about the outbreak of bird flu, which was first detected near the capital in March last year and has since spread mostly to northern districts though there have been no cases of human infection.

    Many of our poultry farm businessmen would face financial trouble if people being unnecessarily panicked stop eating poultry birds or eggs. People should not also spread panic unnecessarily for the interest of the country.

    As per the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestocks, till February 23, some nine lakh chickens in 44 districts has been culled since H5 virus has been detected in 177 poultry farms of the country.

    The government said there is no reason for any panic or concern and has advised the public that "poultry birds and eggs can be consumed as usual through normal cooking".

    Asking the people not to panic, government officials said they should be more aware of the disease and should take cautionary measures like refraining from buying sick chickens or other sick fowls, washing their hands properly with detergent after touching fowls and eggs, and putting a stop to mixed fowls farming as ducks are sometimes the carriers of the virus, spreading it to other fowls.

    The government took tough measures by banning the importation of poultry from dozens of countries. Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) was directed to check illegal entry of poultry and eggs from India as in West Bengal the outbreak is currently at a severe level. The already infected farms in the country are under continuous monitoring and the city corporations were directed to improve their waste management to contain the spread of the virus

    Although no human being has been infected with bird flu virus yet, the government is nonetheless prepared to face any such infection, said the officials.

    The situation in Bangladesh now with regard to bird flu is far better than the situation in the adjoining Indian state of West Bengal, said officials of the Department of Livestocks.

    People concerned should be made conscious of the need for correct waste management, particularly of poultry faeces which need to be buried deep into the soil instead of being thrown into open dustbins. 'The government already has enforced a countrywide poultry farms inspection programme involving all field level livestock officials and Ansar and VDP. Squads of veterinarians and animal health workers have been deployed at eleven border points for anti-viral drug sprays and their services will be made available for farms, which are already affected or exposed to attacks. Anti-viral drugs are also being given to farm owners and employees, who come in close contacts with farm birds.

    The government emphasised the need for raising public awareness about safe dumping and management of poultry waste at the wet market places and also in the household.

    To prevent the spread of bird flu disease into humans, public health officials have been ordered to conduct laboratory test of suspected cases, health officials said.

    The H5N1 strain was first detected in humans in 1997 and has killed 60 people in Southeast Asia in 2003. Bird flu has hit poultry flocks across the world and killed more than 175 people since late 2003, most of them in Southeast Asia, according to the World Health Organisation. Wild migratory birds have been blamed for the global spread of the disease.

    Bird flu - avian influenza - is caused by an influenza type virus that mainly affects wild and domestic birds particularly domestic poultry and waterfoul such as chicken and ducks. It can spread rapidly between birds causing sickness and high death rates, especially in poultry farms and live bird markets where birds are kept close together.

    Symptoms in humans are fever, headache, cough, muscle pain, eye infections, pneumonia, and severe respiratory diseases such as acute respiratory distress.

    Those who have become infected have had close direct contact with infected birds. Human infection with avian influenza viruses usually causes mild conditions such as conjunctivitis (eye infection) and mild flu-like symptoms, with one notable exception, the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus. More severe infection can lead to pneumonia, acute respiratory distress, viral pneumonia, and other severe and life-threatening complications.

    Experts advised people to be aware while buying fowls because if fowls seem sick, then it has to be avoided. They also asked people not to buy prepared fowls from shop. They said people should not approach the guest birds and not allow our poultry birds to mix with guest birds.

    Local people have been asked to inform respective live stock office or ward member if any wild bird or guest bird show unnatural behaviour or die. People have also been asked not to buy and eat guest birds and refrain from its business.

    The government advised, "Avoid touching the bird with your bare hands. If possible, wear disposable protective gloves when picking up and handling. Place the dead bird in a suitable plastic bag, preferably leak proof. Care should be taken not to contaminate the outside of the bag. Tie the bag and place it in a second plastic bag. Remove the gloves by turning them inside out and then place them in the second plastic bag. Tie the bag and dispose of in the normal household refuse bin. Hands should then be washed thoroughly with soap and water ".

    If disposable gloves are not available, a plastic bag can be used as a make-shift glove. When the dead bird has been picked up, the bag can be turned back on itself and tied. It should then be placed in a second plastic bag, tied and disposed of in the normal household waste.

    Alternatively, the dead bird can be buried, but not in a plastic bag. Any clothing that has been in contact with the dead bird should be washed using ordinary washing detergent at the temperature normally used for washing the clothing. Any contaminated indoor surfaces should be thoroughly cleaned with normal household cleaner.

    Awareness about bird flu could combat the disease.


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