NEW DELHI, Jan 13, 2021 (BSS) – The North and South Delhi City
Corporations today imposed a ban on the sale of chicken in their
respective regions as authorities confirmed bird flu cases in the
national capital after testing samples of crows and ducks.
The city corporation authorities also warned hotels and restaurants
to remain cautious while serving egg-based dishes or poultry meat to
guests.
The orders came as the state health department today asked people
not to get panic and follow a set of dos and don’ts, including not
eating half-cooked chicken meat or eggs.
The state government had earlier imposed a ban on the sale of
processed and packaged chicken brought from outside the national
capital after testing samples of crows and ducks had confirmed the
virus.
“All meat and poultry shops and meat processing units in areas under
the NDMC, are prohibited to sell, store poultry or processed or
packaged chicken meat with immediate effect, till further orders,” it
said.
‘All restaurant owners are directed not to serve poultry meat,
poultry product or any egg-related dishes… or action will be taken
against them,” the order said.
“H5N8 is highly pathogenic in birds but the pathogenicity in humans
as well as the likelihood of human infection with avian influenza
(AH5N8) virus is low,” the advisory issued by the directorate general
of health services (DGHS) of Delhi had said.
The advisory added that people should only consume eggs and other
poultry products after they have been cooked at 70 degrees for half an
hour. “Do not consume half-cooked chicken or bird or half-boiled and
half-fried eggs,” it said.
The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) order said: “Due to
bird flu, wholesale poultry market (is) to be totally shut… complete
ban on import of poultry, or unprocessed poultry meat… ban on
selling, processing, packaging of poultry or poultry meat till the
next order”.
“All restaurants are instructed not to serve poultry meat or
eggs…Whosoever defies the order, his/her trade licence will be
suspended,” the SDMC order added.
The Delhi state government on Monday had confirmed multiple bird flu
cases after eight samples sent to a Bhopal-based laboratory tested
positive for avian influenza. Of those eight, four were from a park in
Mayur Vihar Phase 3, three from Sanjay Lake and one from Dwarka.
According to media reports, the bird flu has so far been reported in
India’s seven states- Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya
Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Gujarat-where thousands of
crows and migratory birds were found dead.
Following the outbreak of the flu, the Indian government has
intensified its efforts to contain further spread of the highly
contagious virus.