BERHAMPUR: Veterinary doctors on Friday launched a drive to vaccinate poultry birds in Khallikote and Ganjam blocks of Ganjam district near the Chilika lake after flu was detected in some birds near Krushna Prasad in Puri district.They also collected 14 samples of poultry birds — 11 from Khallikote and three from Ganjam. These samples will be sent to the Animal Disease Research Institute (ADRI), Phulnakhara, Cuttack, for testing, said assistant district veterinary officer (disease control) Rabi Narayan Panda.He said 10 teams have been formed to keep an eye on the area and detect any dead or sick birds as a precautionary measure to prevent spread of the virus. “We have not detected any such bird in our area so far,” he said.He described the vaccination as a regular phenomena to prevent spread of Ranikhet, a highly contagious disease, which might kill poultry birds. He said there is no reason to panic as the bird flu zone is about 15 to 20 km from the district.The influenza virus is detected in crows and poultry found dead in Sialia and Aladapatna villages near Krushna Prasad in Chilika wildlife division recently. As many as 31 dead crows were found in the two villages near Maluda in this range on December 8.“The veterinary officials also collected 10 samples from different species of migratory birds from Nalabana bird sanctuary for testing. During their surveillance, they did not find any sick or dead bird,” said range officer (Nalabana wildlife range) Dillip Sahu.An estimated over 4 lakh birds of different species have already arrived in the bird sanctuary, sources said. Most migratory birds visit Chilika during the winter to escape the biting cold at their native places and stay put in the 15.590 sq.km area of Nalabana.“Since Chilika is the most vulnerable site for flu, we have already sounded officials to keep a watch on the condition of birds and detect dead birds,” said a senior veterinary doctor. Assistant conservator of forests (Chilika wildlife division) Maheswar Patnaik said they have neither detected any sick or dead bird in the vast lake so far.

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