Imphal, April 13: In addition to sustained campaign to create awareness on outbreak of avian influenza (bird flu) with particular focus on checking crossborder trade of poultry products from Myanmar side, the State Government has intensified its effort to curb spread of the disease with the formation of a State Level Monitoring Cell under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary.

reports of bird flu outbreak in Bangladesh is said to be another factor for the heightened preventive measures undertaken by the Government.

Informing the development to newspersons at Manipur Press Club today, Director of State's Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Dr Th Debendra informed that that even though there is no case of bird flu in the State so far there is no leniency on the part of the Department to prevent the same.

In a major relief for the general public, the Director informed that out of blood samples of 1472 chicken and duck, and 52 tissue samples of these domesticated birds as well as wild/migratory birds sent for testing to the Animal Disease Laboratory in Bhopal not a single case of bird flu could be detected.

Cautioning all concerned that there is report of bird flu outbreak in Bangladesh, Dr Debendra called upon the public to convey information through telephone Nos (control room) 244220/9436022239 if there is any apprehension or suspicion of avian influenza case in their neighbourhood.

As part of the preventive steps, Chief Secretary Jarnail Singh is informed to have chaired a meeting yesterday after which deliberation in the meeting and necessary instruction to check/contain the disease, if any, has been intimated to departments concerned.

An office memorandum circulated by the Chief Secretary is said to have asked the forest and Wildlife unit for vigorous checking, surveillance and monitoring of wild life habitats and sanctuaries with the weekly report to be submitted to the Veterinary Commissioner.

similarly, the Health Department has been advised to conduct regular health check-up and to ensure provision of anti-viral drugs to members of Rapid Action Teams, formed under the vety&AH Services, before and after the control and containment operations.

The department is also entrusted to arrange atleast 10,000 tablets of anti-viral drug (Tamiflu) for the Team members.

While the Home department has been assigned the task of enforcing the present ban on illegal trans-border movement of poultry and poultry products including pigs from Myanmar into Manipur, Chairmen of respective District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) would be responsible for providing atleast two JCBs for each district for burial of culled birds in case the disease breaks out.

Arrangement for necessary equipments, appliances, disinfectants, gunny bags etc to personnel directly involved in the disease containment activities would be the responsibility of the Veterinary Department which is also entrusted to depute any doctor/officer for safe delivery of samples to identified laboratories.