PATNA: Bihar is now facing a double whammy. Adding to the ongoing coronavirus crisis, the state is now facing an outbreak of bird flu (H5N1) and swine flu ( H1N1).
Besides the deaths of hundreds of crows and other birds in Patna, Nalanda and Nawada districts, about 50 pigs had also suspectedly died recently in Bhgalapur and Rohtas districts due to swine flu.
Confirming the outbreaks of bird and swine flues, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said that the deaths of crows hints at an outbreak of birds flu.
According to official sources, more than 50 pigs had suspectedly died recently in Bhgalapur and Rohtas districts due to the fever caused by the swine flu.
Officials said that teams of doctors of concerned department are looking into the unnatural deaths of crows and pigs.
"We are keeping a special vigil on polutry farms in the bird flu-affected districts. Samples of dead crows and other birds are being collected and sent to Kolkata for lab test", Secretary of Animal Husbandry and Fisheries department N Saravana Kumar told the CM at a high-level meeting to formulate plans to deal with the issue.
Alarmed at the outbreaks, the CM asked the officials of animal and fisheries department to tame the outbreaks on war footing.
Avian influenza (H5N1) occurs mainly in birds and is contagious among them. There have been instances of human beings getting infected with the virus.