Would you update us on ongoing measures to control the latest bird flu outbreaks?
There is a provision in Bird Flu Control Directives, 2007 to control an outbreak. The government is carrying out its operation to stamp out bird flu in line with this policy. In this process, there is surveillance for bird flu across the country, samples collected and tested in the laboratory. If bird flu is established, we carry out epidemiological studies to determine the degree of risk and flu vulnerable zones.
Keshav Thoker
Then all infected things such as birds, bird products like chicken, eggs, feathers, feces and fodder are destroyed. Such materials are buried and contaminated areas disinfected, followed by strong prohibition on poultry farming in those areas for the next three months. This is the internationally practiced method of flu control and we have been following the same.
Currently where have you been carrying out such ‘stamping out’ operations?
It is being carried out all across the country. We have been doing this since bird flu was detected in Jhapa in 2007 and using the method we have been able to control outbreaks successfully.
There are thousands of poultry farms across the country. How do you cover them all?
We have divided the country into three zones on the basis of risks: Highly vulnerable districts, moderately vulnerable districts and low vulnerable districts. There is Department of Livestock Services operating under Ministry of Agriculture in all 75 districts. There are 999 division offices of Department of Livestock Services. Based on risks, these division offices branch out further. Technical teams in division offices work throughout the year to detect contagion and take measures to control it.
Which are the highly vulnerable districts?
Three districts in the valley are high risk districts. But any district with big poultry business falls under this category.
You say the government is actively working to destroy chicken products but many restaurants are selling chicken products openly.
The government has banned purchase and transport of live chickens and chicken products from the valley after some poultry farmers in Bhaktapur were reported to be selling diseased chickens and transporting them outside the valley secretly. But since we imposed the ban we have the situation under control. Part of the reason why the situation seems so scary is that we have been actively working to spread awareness and control the outbreak and media has been cooperating with us. Regarding your concern about sell of chicken products like eggs, such activity has not been banned. Healthy chicken products can still be sold.
How long will the ban continue?
I cannot tell you now. The extent of outbreak control determines this. If the disease persists and the chances of spread remain high, the ban will be extended. Poultry farmers, government officials and we are meeting to assess the situation. This meeting will decide whether or not to extend the ban.
Will destroying chicken and chicken products be enough to control outbreak? Won’t flying birds spread the contagion?
Bird flu does not spread like that. Not all birds catch flu. When the birds living in polar Siberia fly into Nepal they could bring the virus. Save for this, there is no scientific proof that each flying bird carries virus. When people handle infected birds, sell them or consume them the virus can be spread. Bird flu goes viral not necessarily because of birds themselves but because of human beings’ careless handling of infected birds. This is what you must be careful about.
What is the risk of virus being transferred to humans in the Nepali context?
Though bird flu is essentially a bird disease, it can change its characteristics. It can transmit from chicken to other animals like tigers, cats, swine and other birds. From these animals it can spread to human beings too. We are fortunate that not a single Nepali has been infected by bird flu so far. But it has transmitted from birds into humans in 15 other countries and 60 percent of victims have died. More dangerously, it can spread from one human to another. Once it infects humans, it spreads like a plague and millions of people could die. Not only that, it can spread from one country to other and become a pandemic. In that case, billions of people could die. It will be the most unfortunate event in history of human civilization. And it is precisely to avoid such a situation that we all have been working on a war footing. If we can control it today, we can save ourselves from future dangers. We call upon media personnel, poultry farmers, consumers and other stakeholders who are in chicken trade to cooperate with us. Once the disease is controlled the government will do all it can to enhance and promote the poultry businesses in which thousands of people are directly involved.
Just in case the virus transmits to human beings, where should they go for treatment?
The Ministry of Health is the appropriate authority to answer your question. But so far as I know, the government has clearly fixed the health institutions to go to when a person is suspected of being infected with bird flu.
It is said poultry farmers are reluctant to cooperate in detection of bird flu because the government offers negligible compensations to destroy infected poultry.
I agree that compensation is not adequate but it is not negligible as well. But it would be wrong to see what’s being offered as compensation at all. It’s more temporary relief. Many countries give no compensation when they destroy chicken products during flu outbreak. The government calls on the people to cooperate with it. In Nepal, compensation ceiling was fixed in 2007 and has been revised two times since. Galloping inflation has made it seem low. Still we have asked the government to raise the compensations to the level at which it could cover at least 80 percent of market price. But if we raise the compensation very high, it might be misused. Bird flu is the only disease for which the government offers compensations to farmers while carrying out control measures. A poor country like Nepal compensates its farmers considering the huge investment and big losses to farmers. You should take it positively.
How can a person be safe from bird flu? What precautions can we take?
Like I said, bird flu is essentially a bird disease and cannot be transmitted to human beings easily. But those who work in poultry farms and those who come into contact with poultry products such as chicken meat-sellers are at the highest risk. Virus is present in chicken feces and it can easily get into the lungs of farmers who handle these things. So once chickens start dying, the farmers need to inform the nearest veterinaries immediately. If there can be such precaution, we are all safe. If people handle flu infected meat with bare hands it can affect them. Those who are not in poultry farms need not fear. Farmers and others who handle chicken and chicken meats need to maintain proper hygiene. If we do just these, we can be safe from bird flu.
Related story
Construction of three int’l power transmission lines underway a...
_20220508065243.jpg)
