Snowy Owl
Retired in 2010, In Memoriam
Concern over spread of chikungunya, bird flu
http://www.newindpress.com
http://www.newindpress.com
Friday April 7 2006 14:46 IST
BANGALORE: In an interesting debate, the Legislative Assembly on Thursday expressed concern over rapid spread of Chikungunya and bird flu that is affecting poultry business across the country.
Health and Family Welfare Minister R Ashok, while assuring the House that the Government had taken all steps to counter Chikungunya, said that there was no bird flu outbreak in the State.
The issue was raised by Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge through a calling attention motion. Claiming that there were reports of over 13,000 Chikungunya infected birds in one taluk of Gulbarga alone, Kharge said that there was shortage of medicine and paramedical staff to tackle the menace.
Opposition leader Dharam Singh, Veerabasanth Reddy Mudnal and Vaijanath Patil also expressed concern over the issue.
RPI member Rajendran wondered how a large number of chicken were infected and said he suspected pharmaceutical companies may have had a role in spreading rumours to market their medicine.
Speaking in support of Rajendran, Vatal Nagaraj said that the rumours had affected the poultry industry. Kharge, fearing that the issue would be sidetracked, explained that Chikungunya was different from bird flu.
Vatal Nagaraj at once said that he knew that they were two different issues, but wanted an answer on how bird flu had occurred in the State and poultry farmers had been affected.
Ashok said that Government had deputed enough doctors and dispatched medicines to disease-affected areas.
Besides, the Government had released Rs 16 crore, so that the Medical Superintendents could purchase medicines from the market, if they fell short of Government-supplied medicine.
Stringent measures had controlled the menace in Pavagada taluk and the same measures were followed in Gulbarga and Raichur, too. The Government did not have enough foggers and had requested Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh to send the equipment, he added.
Ashok said that there was hardly any chance of bird flu outbreak in the State, as the disease affected only those who ate chicken cooked below 30 deg C.
However, chicken is cooked at 60 deg C in most instances and there was no need to fear outbreak of flu, he added.
BANGALORE: In an interesting debate, the Legislative Assembly on Thursday expressed concern over rapid spread of Chikungunya and bird flu that is affecting poultry business across the country.
Health and Family Welfare Minister R Ashok, while assuring the House that the Government had taken all steps to counter Chikungunya, said that there was no bird flu outbreak in the State.
The issue was raised by Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge through a calling attention motion. Claiming that there were reports of over 13,000 Chikungunya infected birds in one taluk of Gulbarga alone, Kharge said that there was shortage of medicine and paramedical staff to tackle the menace.
Opposition leader Dharam Singh, Veerabasanth Reddy Mudnal and Vaijanath Patil also expressed concern over the issue.
RPI member Rajendran wondered how a large number of chicken were infected and said he suspected pharmaceutical companies may have had a role in spreading rumours to market their medicine.
Speaking in support of Rajendran, Vatal Nagaraj said that the rumours had affected the poultry industry. Kharge, fearing that the issue would be sidetracked, explained that Chikungunya was different from bird flu.
Vatal Nagaraj at once said that he knew that they were two different issues, but wanted an answer on how bird flu had occurred in the State and poultry farmers had been affected.
Ashok said that Government had deputed enough doctors and dispatched medicines to disease-affected areas.
Besides, the Government had released Rs 16 crore, so that the Medical Superintendents could purchase medicines from the market, if they fell short of Government-supplied medicine.
Stringent measures had controlled the menace in Pavagada taluk and the same measures were followed in Gulbarga and Raichur, too. The Government did not have enough foggers and had requested Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh to send the equipment, he added.
Ashok said that there was hardly any chance of bird flu outbreak in the State, as the disease affected only those who ate chicken cooked below 30 deg C.
However, chicken is cooked at 60 deg C in most instances and there was no need to fear outbreak of flu, he added.