829 teams formed to meet any eventuality: Minister Seediri Appalaraju

Amaravati: Minister for animal husbandry Seediri Appalaraju said 829 teams were formed to meet the challenge, if any, from bird flu. He said teams will closely monitor incidents of bird flu to take immediate action to prevent spread of the disease.

In a statement on Thursday, the minister said as per the requirement 40 to 140 district level teams will be formed especially in Nellore, Guntur, West Godavari and East Godavari districts where the migratory birds arrive in more numbers. He said a five-member doctors team trained at regional testing laboratory in Bangalore will be pressed into service to conduct tests at regional animal diseases testing centre in Vijayawada.

Referring to death of crows at Kollipara mandal in Guntur district and at Srikakulam districts the doctors tested the samples and made it clear that there were no bird flu symptoms.

The minister said besides the staff of animal husbandry department, forest and panchayat raj department staff as well as poultry farmers will be trained to prevent spread of the disease. He said that the state government had been mapping the villages having backyard poultry farms to prevent bird flu. Control rooms will be set up in all the districts to monitor the situation.

The minister clarified that there were no incidents of bird flu in the state and people can consume chicken and eggs without fear.