India Heightens Bird Flu Surveillance Amid Global Concerns: Poultry Industry on Alert

India has initiated surveillance of virus strains amidst the growing apprehension of bird flu on a global scale, particularly in the United States.

Recently, the national government undertook an evaluation of the prevalent flu strains within the country. Concurrently, poultry enterprises have been diligently monitoring the situation.

Experts worldwide have issued warnings about the potential for a bird flu pandemic, which could be significantly more severe than Covid-19. The detection of H5N1, or avian influenza, among dairy cows in the US, coupled with a confirmed case of a human testing positive for the virus in Texas, has triggered significant concern.

Likewise, poultry businesses throughout India have heightened their vigilance and biosecurity measures. Avian influenza, a disease stemming from the infection of birds with influenza viruses, typically circulates among wild aquatic birds globally and has the potential to infect domestic poultry and other avian and animal species. Although bird flu viruses generally do not infect humans, isolated cases of human infections have been reported worldwide.

According to Ranpal Dhanda, president of the Poultry Federation of India (PFI) — a coalition comprising over 2,500 stakeholders, including farmers, veterinarians, breeders, processors, and other allied fields related to poultry — there have been no notable deviations observed within the industry thus far.

Dhanda informed the media that the news of bird flu would have been more alarming if it had surfaced around two months earlier.

He highlighted that during winter, migratory birds migrate to India from various parts of the world, potentially introducing such viruses. “However, presently, it is the time when these birds depart from India, diminishing the likelihood of new infections.”

Dhanda, who also serves as the president of Unnat Group, engaged in poultry feed and equipment business, mentioned that the association has advised its members to remain vigilant and promptly report any unusual occurrences. “As of now, nothing unusual has been observed,” he concluded.