Delhi Animal Husbandry Unit has confirmed that no avian influenza or bird flu has been detected in the poultry samples sent from Delhi, including the Ghazipur chicken market. Rakesh Singh, senior Animal Husbandry Unit officer said all 100 samples of poultry birds from Ghazipur market have tested negative.
"Test results of 104 samples arrived on Wednesday evening. Of these, 100 samples were collected from 35 poultry birds in the Ghazipur market. All samples have tested negative for bird flu," he said.
"It means there is no spread of avian influenza in poultry birds in Delhi," he added.After the samples were tested negative, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said he has directed to open the poultry market and withdraw the ban orders.
"Samples taken from poultry markets have tested negative with respect to Bird Flu. Have directed to open the poultry market & withdraw the orders to restrict trade & import of chicken stocks," he added.
Spread of bird flu, however, was suspected in the remaining four samples of Heron birds taken from a park. They have been sent to Bhopal for confirmation, the official said.
However, on Wednesday, all three civic bodies of Delhi had banned the sale, processing and packaging of poultry or poultry meat "till the next order" in areas under their jurisdiction.
On January 9, the Ghazipur wholesale poultry market, Asia's largest, was shut for 10 days as a precautionary measure after bird flu was confirmed in wild birds that dropped dead across parks in the city.
Bird flu is a highly infectious and severe respiratory disease in birds caused by the H5N1 influenza virus, which can occasionally infect humans as well.