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New Delhi, Sep 7: With no reports of bird flu cases close to the last three months in the country, India is considering an approach to the France-based Organisation for Animal Health (OIA) for according it 'the avian influenza free country' soon. Besides, India and neighbouring Bangladesh have set up a joint mechanism through a series of meeting held amongst officials to share and monitor information on bird flu cases in the poultry industry. India has been maintaining that the virus came from Bangladesh through the illegal poultry trade. Even agriculture minister Sharad Pawar had supported this view.
The animal husbandry department under the ministry of agriculture, in February 2008, had made a formal request to the Bangladesh government through the ministry of external affairs to share the genetic history of its virus. After much deliberation, Bangladesh shared data on the genetic make up of the H5N1 virus strain, which had been found 'similar' to the bird flu virus and had caused India's worst Avian Influenza outbreak earlier this year. "Bangladesh has been proactive and most forth coming in sharing information," an official with the animal husbandry department told FE.
India and Bangladesh share a 4,095-kilometre border. India had reported its first case of bird flu in Maharashtra back in 2006 but later that year declared itself 'bird-flu free'. However, the country has suffered two more outbreaks since then, the latest and worst being in West Bengal, where it erupted earlier this year.
According to OIA, the avian influenza-free country status is given if a nation reports no outbreak of bird flu for a stretch of three months from the time it completes disinfection and clean-up of the previous outbreak site. "We are closely monitoring the situation, and will approach OIA soon," the official said. The country produces more than 2.0 million tonne of broiler chickens annually and is the fifth largest producer in the world. The country is the largest producer of eggs, with a production of around 44 billion pieces. The Rs 40,000-crore domestic poultry industry provides direct and indirect employment to more than 2 million people.
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