Avian flu: 6 show symptoms of cold, team scans Gurugram market

GURUGRAM: A team of experts from the National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research in Bhopal on Sunday visited the Chakkarpur market and took stock of the situation following the death of an 11-year-old boy.
Sushil Kumar from Chakkarpur had contracted the H5N1 avian influenza and died at Delhi’s AIIMS on July 11. He had succumbed to acute myeloid leukaemia and associated complications.
“Our team observed that six people in the area have common flu-like symptoms and three have sore throats. Our teams are constantly monitoring the health condition of the boy’s family members. Our team and NIHSAD members have collected samples from butcher knives, tabletops, cages, etc. Also, blood samples of the family members and neighbours of the boy were collected to check for antibodies in these people. The result will determine if they were earlier infected with the virus or not,” said Dr Virender Yadav, chief medical officer, Gurugram.
Members of the NIHSAD, along with the Gurugram health department, collected samples from birds and people at the market to assess the presence of the avian flu (H5N1) virus. The team collected 20 swabs of birds and 18 human blood samples.
A total of 70 teams of the health department surveyed a 10km area. As many as 3,811 houses were surveyed in a 3km area. Between 3km to 10 km area, 68,537 people were surveyed.
The department’s deputy director, Dr Punita Gahlawat said poultry has been found to be healthy in Gurugram as of now. “A team from Bhopal and a health department team collected samples and their results will come after two or three weeks. After getting the reports, we can plan a further course of action. As of now, we are carrying out intensive screenings in the area.”
“This sample collection process is important to determine if anyone was infected in the area or not. As the boy was infected, it is crucial to identify from where he got the virus. So far, we have not witnessed any unusual death and symptoms in birds,” she added.
Meanwhile, she also pointed out that 28 teams of the animal husbandry department have been formed to carry out inspections at 18 poultry farms across the city.