Date:29/01/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/01/29/stories/2004012912041200.htm

National

Travellers may be screened

By Gargi Parsai

NEW DELHI, JAN. 28. India might resort to screening passengers from Pakistan and Myanmar — like during the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome scare— as a precaution, in view of the bird flu or avian influenza epidemic in these countries (although Myanmar disputes it). With nearly four million chickens having succumbed to the influenza in Pakistan and reports of spread of the disease in Myanmar, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying under the Ministry of Agriculture has sought screening of people travelling into India from these countries, at airports and sea ports. The States bordering these countries have been asked to be vigilant.

In Punjab, a red alert has been sounded in three border cities, including Amritsar, Ferozepur and Gurdaspur. Special teams of veterinary doctors have been constituted to assist customs authorities at the Wagha border for checking illegal imports of any domestic and wild birds, chicks, turkeys, eggs and meat. The State Animal Disease Emergency Committee is closely monitoring the situation.

Even as the epidemic shows signs of spreading, the Department of Animal Husbandry is considering imposing a total ban on imports of domestic and wild birds, and their products from any foreign country, including Europe and the United States. It has so far restricted imports from widely-affected Pakistan, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia and Japan. The virus that has killed flocks in Pakistan, Laos and Taiwan is a different, milder strain of avian flu, not the same kind that is a threat to people. New cases have been reported from South China.

The influenza, which is a serious disease of domestic birds, particularly chicken and ducks, can infect humans as well if the virus undergoes mutation. Ten human deaths have been reported — eight in Vietnam and two in Thailand, although there is no transmission from human to human. There is no evidence that the virus is being passed through eating chicken products. Heat kills viruses.

In its advisory, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations said that despite Vietnam having rapidly applied control measures such as killing several thousands of chickens, disinfection, quarantine, control of animal movements and general surveys, the situation continues to be a cause for concern, with possible new outbreaks.