Veterinary department to collect poultry blood samples in war on avian flu

Panaji: After the recent death of jungle cats at the Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary’s zoo due to the H5N1 avian influenza strain, the state directorate of animal husbandry and veterinary services (AHVS) is launching a targeted surveillance campaign to monitor poultry health across the state. Blood samples from poultry birds will be collected on April 21 and 23 to detect any potential outbreak of the pathogenic virus.
“I have instructed all officers to remain vigilant and to report any unusual or sudden mortality among poultry birds,” said AHVS director Nitin Naik. The directorate clarified that over the past two months, there were no reported cases of abnormal poultry deaths.
“Neither in domesticated chickens nor in other bird species have we seen any indications of H5N1 in Goa so far. The possibility of the virus being present here is very, very slim,” Naik told TOI. H5N1, a strain of the avian influenza, poses a serious threat to both poultry and human health when outbreaks occur.
Since the H5N1 avian influenza strain is more common in birds than in wild cats, despite which the jungle cats succumbed to the infection, the AHVS is not taking any chances and will primarily focus on testing chickens across poultry farms in Goa.
Officials said that alongside monitoring for the disease, the survey will also serve to gather updated data on Goa’s poultry bird population. The directorate has urged poultry farmers and bird owners to cooperate with field staff during the sampling process and to promptly report any signs of illness or sudden bird deaths.
“We have not seen any such incidences in the poultry at any of our farms. It is surprising, therefore, that the virus can affect such big animals at the zoo,” said Mario Valadares, a poultry farmer and member of the All Goa Poultry Farmers Committee.
Valadares added, “Poultry farmers in Goa are able to take all precautions to keep their animals safe from such outbreaks since we regularly vaccinate our chickens, keep them well-spread, and disinfect our farms.”
TOI reported on April 8 about the death of five animals —three civet cats and two jungle cats — which occurred between March 6 and 9 and triggered the temporary closure of the zoo on April 1 due to quarantine measures. H5N1 in two jungle cats was confirmed by the Goa forest department last week.