Indore: Thirteen more crows were found dead in Daly College on Saturday morning as bird flu spread across the campus. In all, 83 crows have died on Daly College campus so far. Crows were first found dead for at Daly College on December 29. Some of the crows were tested and found positive for Influenza A virus subtype H5N8, commonly known as bird flu.
“The crows were buried as per guidelines and the entire area including trees was sanitised,” veterinary department deputy director PK Sharma said. He added that bird flu spreads much like corona in humans. “It’s too quick. In case of bird flu, the bird dies within 12 hours of being infected,” Sharma said.
The samples of the dead crows were sent to a laboratory in Bhopal for examination. The report showed birds positive for bird flu. Meanwhile, 20 more crows were found dead in the campus on Friday.
6 feet deep pit to bury dead crows: The crows killed by the virus were buried in presence of veterinary department officials on Saturday morning. An employee present here collected the dead crows after wearing a PPE kit. The bird was put in a black polythene bag. A pit of 6 feet was dug with help of JCB. The crows were buried in the pit. Before covering the pit, a layer of limestone powder and salt was put on dead crows. The pit was then covered with soil. “The layer of limestone powder and salt breaks virus chain and helps in controlling its spread,” Sharma said.
Monitoring for a week or more: Survey and observation of birds and humans in the area will continue for over a week. Officials will monitor birds and ensure control of bird flu spread. H5N1 is the most common form of bird flu. It’s deadly to birds and can easily affect humans and other animals that come in contact with a carrier. According to World Health Organisation, H5N1 was first discovered in humans in 1997 and has killed nearly 60 per cent of those infected.
