Cases of unnatural mortality of birds have been reported in Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir and four districts of Jharkhand, the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying said in a status report on Avian Influenza today.

The Department of Animal husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) had on Tuesday organised a virtual meeting with representatives from 17 states and advised them to efficiently manage the spread of avian influenza in their respective states in accordance with the Action Plan 2021.

To deal with the situation the states were asked to coordinate with the department of health and forest and sensitize them about the issue. States were also asked to maintain sufficient supply of protective equipment and maintain biosecurity measures in poultry farms.

So far, avian influenza cases have been confirmed in 10 states. The DAHD has directed to identify BSL-II labs at the state level for speeding up the identification of infection in the state and timely introduction of control mechanisms. The states were also asked to ensure that the infection does not spread among poultry, as it would have a high economic cost for the poultry farmers.

It was found that many states are banning supply of poultry and poultry products from other states. As this would add to the negative impact on the poultry industry, the states were requested to reconsider such a decision..