Irfan Tramboo
SRINAGAR, Jan 31: While at least 6 districts in J&K have confirmed Bird flu cases, the confirmation of the suspected samples that are sent to high-end testing laboratories in Bhopal and Jalandhar takes at least a week and in some cases more than that in the absence of such laboratories in J&K.
The samples that are collected from the affected areas or during random sampling in Kashmir are first sent to the Institute of Animal Health & Biological Products, Zakura Srinagar, which carries out preliminary testing. It is from the Zakura lab that the suspected samples are further sent either to Bhopal or Jalandhar for confirmation.
A case in point being the samples collected from Hardshiva in Baramulla’s Sopore. The suspected sample that tested positive for the Avian Flu, it has been learned, was sent for testing to Institute of Animal Health & Biological Products, Zakura Srinagar on January 11 which then further sent it to Bhopal for further confirmation.
The reports of the suspected sample came positive only on January 29, indicating a gap of at least 18 days and also pointing towards a possible passages provided to the flu to spread in the absence of containment measures during that period.
It was only after the confirmation came in from Bhopal Lab that the administration swung into the action and declared the area of Hardshiva as ‘Alert Zone’ on January 29. Later random sampling within the 1 km radius of what has been termed as the ‘epicentre’ was carried out along with other surveillance measures.
It can be noted here that India has only two high-end dedicated labs: ICAR-National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal and Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (RDDL), Jalandhar. These are the two labs that are catering to the entire country.
Further, the confirmation from the labs on the suspected samples, it has been learned, is then sent directly to the Government which then writes about the same to the Chief Secretary of the Union Territory, and reaches the concerned department which has dispatched the samples only after that.
Notably, officials told Excelsior that so far at least 150 samples have been taken across Kashmir and only the suspected ones are further sent to the high-end labs for further testing out of which only 6 have tested positive for the Avian Influenza (H5N8).
So far, the Bird flu cases have been reported from districts like Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam, Budgam, Baramulla where the Avian Flu has been detected in wild crows, while as in Udhampur it has been detected in a domestic fowl.
Director of Animal Husbandry, Kashmir Purnima Mittal told Excelsior that the confirmation of the suspected samples from the Bhopal or Jalandhar lab does take at least a week.
She also said that the department is focusing on the positive sampling as of now and has been taking preventive measures within 1 km radius of the epicentre.
“The sample takes time to reach the lab and when that’s done, they inform us through email and we take the necessary action as per guidelines,” she said.
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