Delhi Zoo intensifies sanitization drills after the death of a Brown Fish Owl

New Delhi: As capital’s National Zoological Park (NZP) witnessed a death of Brown Fish Owl in its captivity, sanitisation and surveillance drills have been intensified  in the zoo. “All possible preventive and prophylactic measure are being taken meticulously. Birds in captivity have been isolated and are under consistent monitoring and care for their behaviour and health,” a government release stated today.

The cloacal, tracheal and ocular swabs of the deceased bird was sent to Animal Husbandry Department of Government of NCT of Delhi for serological examination, which has been found positive for H5N8 Avian Influenza virus under ‘real time RT-PCR’ test done by ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Disease (NIHSAD), Bhopal on January 15. 2021.

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National Zoological Park , New Delhi houses both captive and free ranging birds, including local migratory waterfowls and waders in its premises. The government release, issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, stated that a team consisting of Veterinary Officer of NZP and officials of Animal Husbandry Department of Government of NCT of Delhi did a serological surveillance on January 11, and faecal droppings of free ranging birds and water samples of ponds in NZP were collected from different locations and sent for serological examination related to Avian Influenza. 

As per the standard protocols and guidelines issued by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India and Animal Husbandry Department of Government of NCT of Delhi on Avian Influenza spray of lime, virkon-S & sodium hypochlorite and foot bath of potassium permanganate are being done on regular intervals every day. Chicken feed to raptors and entry of vehicles inside the zoo had already been stopped, which was being further reinforced and intensified. Movement of staffs and workers in zoo was also being restricted and regulated keeping in view the Animal Influenza threats. National Zoological Park is already closed due to Covid-19 and is not open for public.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, informed today that till  January 16, 2021, cases of Avian Influenza had been confirmed in poultry in Latur, Parbhani, Nanded, Pune, Solapur, Yavatmal, Ahmednagar, Beed and Raigad districts of Maharashtra.

Moreover, Avian Influenza had been confirmed in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh (crow); Surat, Navsari and Narmada districts of Gujarat (crow); Dehradun district of Uttarakhand (crow); Kanpur district of Uttar Pradesh (crow). Additionally, in Delhi, Pigeon and brown fish owl in Najafgarh and Heron in Rohini had tested positive for avian influenza.

As per the report, received from Central Poultry Development Organisation, Mumbai, unusual mortality of poultry had been found in the farm. The samples had been sent to the designated laboratory for testing.

In Chhattisgarh registered respiratory therapists (RRTs) had been deployed and culling of poultry was underway in epicentre of Balod district. Further, in Madhya Pradesh also RRTs had been deployed. Culling operation of poultry was underway in the epicentre of Harda district of Madhya Pradesh.

The central teams formed for monitoring the situation in the affected areas of the country were visiting the affected sites and conducting epistemological studies.

– global bihari bureau