27 April 2007 (Khonumthung News): In a bid to prevent the spread of avian flu in northeast states of India, a general alert has been sounded by the Mizoram government prohibiting entry of poultry and livestock from Myanmar and Bangladesh.
The Mizoram Governor, M M Lakhera on Thursday ordered banning entry of poultry from Myanmar and Bangladesh after the H5N1 bird flu virus was detected in the two
neighbouring countries.
The ban on poultry on the Indo-Burma border was initially imposed in some areas of Mizoram such as Lunglei and Champhai in the first week of March. But poultry was being smuggled in through the porous Indo-Myanmar border.
Mizoram relies mainly on livestock and poultry from the two neighbouring countries for its domestic market.
The authorities in Tripura, Assam, Manipur, and Arunachal Pradesh state in northeast India share a common border either with Bangladesh or Myanmar have increased surveillance regarding avian influenza. Moreover, The regions also ban entry of poultry from the two countries.
The outbreak of H5N1 bird flu virus was reported in a farm near Yangon, former capital of Myanmar two months ago where thousands of chickens and ducks were said to have been culled.
In Bangladesh, H5N1 flu virus was confirmed last month. About 60,000 birds, from16 farms with the virus were slaughtered.
