The Maharashtra government on Tuesday informed that a total of 242 birds died during the day, of which 224 are poultry birds and the remaining are crows, piegons, wild birds and parrots. Now, the total number of birds to have died since January 8 has risen to 1,858, including 1,734 poultry birds.
The outbreak has been reported from many districts across the state including Mumbai, Thane, Ratnagiri, Nashik, Ahmednagar, Parbhani, Beed, Latur, Amravati and Nagpur. However, Pune, Palghar, Raigad, Sangli, Solapur, Kolhapur, Jalna, Hingoli, Washim and Buldhana have not seen any cases so far.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government has issued an advisory on Tuesday. The government has directed the owners of poultry farms and general public to immediately intimate mortality in crows, parrots, herons or in migratory birds in any village or of any unusual mortality of poultry birds in commercial farms as well as backyard poultry to the nearest veterinary dispensary. The intimation can also be given toll free no. 18002330418.
"It is advised that the dead birds should not be touched with bare hands and post mortem of such dead birds should not be conducted. The birds should not be disposed off without intimation to the local veterinarian," the government said.
"As per the provisions under Section(1) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Diseases of Animals Act, 2009, every owner, or any other person, non-governrnental organization, public bodies or village panchayat, in-charge or any animal which he or it has a reason to believe to be infective of a scheduled disease shall report the fact to the village officer or village panchayat in-charge, who may report the same in writing to the available veterinarian," the government added.
The government further added that its safe to eat eggs and poultry meat, if the eggs and poultry meat are cooked for 30 minutes at 70 degrees Celcius.
