BHUBANESWAR: Even as the investigation report from Bhopal-based High Security Animal Diseases Laboratory (HSADL) is awaited, officials of Forest as well as Animal Resources Development Departments carried out extensive monitoring of health of different birds in Chandaka reserve forest on Thursday. So far, no new bird was found either dead or ailing. Similarly, there has been no report of any sickness or death among the birds in domestic poultry as yet, Commissioner-cum-Secretary to the Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Department Bishnupada Sethi said. However, a peacock, which was earlier sick and shifted to Odisha College of Veterinary Science, has been reported dead. The total mortality of peacocks now stands at 19. The joint teams have been monitoring health of birds in different areas after 18 peacocks and two other birds were found dead in a forest near Madhapur village in Khurda on Tuesday.
A team of experts from Animal Diseases Research Institute (ADRI), Phulnakhara visited Madhupur, Majana and Mangalpur villages and collected several samples for investigation. Besides, a team from the Clinical Investigation Laboratories (CIL), Cuttack also visited the villages of Banki sub-division located close to Damapada forest range and collected 41 tracheal swabs, 41 cloacal swabs and 15 serum samples for investigation. Meanwhile, the Khurda Chief District Veterinary Officer and his team have mounted a massive awareness campaign in the villages and appealed to people not to panic or get confused during this situation. As many as 400 doses of Ranikhet disease (RD) vaccines have been administered to poultry birds of villages surrounding reserve forest areas of Chandaka such as Majana, Mahul, Minsinghpatna, Mangalpur and Karadapali. Similarly, ring vaccination in surrounding villages of Damapada Forest Range has been taken up by officials of Banki subdivision while 300 doses of RD vaccine have been administered in six villages on December 9 followed by 800 doses on Thursday in three villages.