The deadly avian influenza- H5N1 has been confirmed in migratory birds, whose carcasses were found in Pong wetland in Himachal’s Kangra district.

Around 2000 migratory birds have died till Monday evening due to the outbreak of bird flu at Pong Dam Lake, which is known as migratory birds’ paradise. Following this, a bird flu alert has been sounded in the state.

According to the report received from National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal, samples of five dead Bar- Headed Goose were found positive for H5N1 avian Influenza virus by Real time RT-PCR. The samples were taken from Wildlife Sanctuary, Pong Dam, Himachal.

The bird flu scare comes amid COVID-19 pandemic outbreak across the country. Several states including Rajasthan, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh have also sounded bird flu alert after the death of birds.

Currently, several countries in Europe and East Asia are also grappling with an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza.

Since the past one week, 2000 migratory birds have reportedly died due to the outbreak of bird flu at Pong Dam. The dead birds were of around nine species and maximum of those were Bar- Headed Geese. Other species included Common Teal, Northern Pintail, Tufted Duck, Common Pochard, Ruddy Shelduck and Great Cormorant.

Following the confirmation of bird flu, a high-level meeting was held between the Kangra district Administration, Forest and Wildlife Department and other Departments to deal with the situation and control the spread of bird flu in the state.

During the meeting, it was decided to collect samples from poultry farms and get them tested for bird flu.

One km area around Pong dam has already been declared as alert zone (red zone) and human and livestock activities have been banned in the area while nine km area would be surveillance zone till further orders.

The local Administration has also prohibited slaughtering, sale, purchase and export of any poultry birds, fish of any breed and their related products in Fatehpur, Dehra, Jawali and Indora sub-divisions of the district. The shops selling these products would also remain closed in these four subdivisions till further orders.

“An advisory has been issued for taking prevention and control measures in view of bird flu. Experts are monitoring and supervising the entire exercise and the teams of forest guards and other field staff deputed at Pong wetland are keeping a strict vigil in the area,” said Upasana Patiyal, Chief Conservator of Forest (wildlife wing) Kangra while talking to The Pioneer.

The Department’s employees collect the bodies of dead birds by wearing a PPE kit and then burn the carcass. The remnants are then buried in a deep pit to contain the spread of bird flu, she said.

Taking precautionary measures, the Department has already closed the entry of tourists and other visitors in the Pong Dam area.  Also, the villagers have been asked not to graze cattle in the area, she added.According to the guidelines issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO), H5N1 is a type of influenza virus that causes a highly infectious, severe respiratory disease in birds called avian influenza. Human cases of H5N1 avian influenza occur occasionally, but it is difficult to transmit the infection from person to person. Almost all people with H5N1 infection have had close contact with infected birds or H5N1-contaminated environments.  When people do become infected, the mortality rate is about 60 percent.

Notably, Pong Dam wetland, known as 'Birding Paradise', is currently hosting around 60000 migratory birds of different species namely Eurasian Coot, Northern Pintail, Common Teal, Northern Shoveler, Common Pochard, Tufted Duck, Black-headed Gull, Brown-headed Gull, Little Ringed Plover, Ruddy Shelduck, Gadwal, Eurasian Wigeon, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Pallas's Gull, Gull-billed Tern, Great Cormorant, Osprey, White Wagtail among many others.

Escaping extreme winter chill in their summer homes, lakhs of migratory birds from Central Asia and Siberian reach Pong Dam every year by October and stay till March.

Earlier in March also, the samples from migratory birds that had visited Pong Dam were collected and sent for testing. All samples had tested negative for avian influenza virus at that time.

The Pong Dam, about 100 kms from Dharamshala, is known as Pong Reservoir, Pong Dam Lake and the Maharana Pratap Sagar. The site is a well-known wildlife sanctuary and one of the international wetland sites declared in India by the Ramsar Convention.