Bird flu scare haunts Capital, Deer Park too shuts down

The Delhi government on Thursday shut down the Deer Park in Hauz Khas after it suspected that two birds found dead inside the park could be infected with bird flu. This is the second birding place in the Capital to be shut down, the first being the Delhi Zoo. As many as eight more birds have been found dead in various locations, taking the toll to 18.

"All water bodies, park and forest areas in the Capital will be closely monitored," said Delhi Rural Development Minister Gopal Rai.

The latest move comes after the death of 10 birds at the Delhi Zoo, three of which have been positively identified as bird flu cases. Reports of bird deaths first came on October 14. According to zoo officials, the birds that perished were local migratory birds — Rosy Pelicans, Painted Storks and Ducks.

At present, the zoo has around 40 Pelicans and 20 Ducks, while Painted Storks are coming in from Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

On Thursday, the government inspected various birding sites in the Capital and found two more dead ones in the Delhi Zoo. Three crows have also been found dead in the posh Sunder Nagar colony and another one in Tughlakabad.

The government has formed a 23-member committee to look after the bird flu cases in Delhi. Four Rapid Response Teams were formed on Thursday, taking their total number to 10. The teams, comprising veterinarians, animal husbandry officials, and civic body officials are monitoring various birding sites.

Around 100 more samples have been collected in the last two days from Ghazipur, Okhla Bird Sanctuary, Najafgarh drain, Yamuna Biodiversity Park and the Central Park in Hauz Khas and sent to a specialised Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory in Jalandhar.

"We are collecting samples from most of the birding places in Delhi. On Wednesday, we collected around 50 samples from various parks and some more were collected on Thursday. The results will come in five to seven days. We will then compile a final report and take necessary action," District Animal Husbandry officer Dr HC Dandotiya said.

In the wake of increasing bird flu cases, the government has asked the Delhi Health Department to stock Tamiflu vaccine. "There is no need for panic now. We are continuously monitoring the situation in every birding site. The government will also issue guidelines to various Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) to spread awareness about the disease," added Rai.

Health experts have advised people to avoid consuming poultry products. "Humans get infected by avian flu when they come into contact with infected birds/poultry or consume infected poultry or come into contact with another infected human being. This infection has high mortality rates. No cases have so far been reported in India and a patient should be suspected to have this disease only if there is exposure to infected poultry or individuals," said Dr Raman Abhi, Additional Director, Internal Medicine, Fortis Memorial Research Institute.

What is Bird flu?

Avian Influenza (AI), commonly called bird flu, is an infectious viral disease seen in birds. Most AI viruses do not infect humans. Some, such as A(H5N1) and A(H7N9), can infect humans.

What are the symptoms?

The common symptoms are sudden and severe onset of cough, cold, high fever and shortness of breath. This could lead to pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, multiple organ failure, rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney injury.

What is the treatment?

The treatment is the same as for swine flu. One must take Tamiflu, avoid self-medication and immediately consultant a specialist.