Centre convenes high-level meeting to manage, raise surveillance on bird flu

New Delhi: Amid the growing threat of Avian Influenza, commonly known as bird flu, and the looming risk of spillover to humans, the Union government convened a high-level session to step up a coordinated and comprehensive approach.

The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, convened the brainstorming session at Krishi Bhawan on Wednesday.

The recent Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) outbreak in dairy cattle in the US, with spillover to other mammals, underscores its pandemic potential.

Addressing this threat requires the One Health approach, integrating human, animal, and environmental health with enhanced coordination and comprehensive strategies, noted the meeting chaired by Alka Upadhyaya, Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

India’s poultry sector adds to the country’s food security, not only providing a reliable source of high-quality protein but also supporting livelihoods, particularly in rural areas.

The recurrent HPAI outbreaks are hindering the potential and also impacting exports of the sector, which in the last 10 years grew steadily at a rate of 7-10 per cent.

The session saw experts from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), CSIR-Centre for Cell and Molecular Biology (CCMB), ICAR-NIHSAD Bhopal, ICAR-NIVEDI Bangalore, the Ministries of Environment and Health, among others, deliberate on Avian Influenza, focusing on surveillance and vaccination under the One Health approach.

The session featured comprehensive presentations from the Human Health, Animal Husbandry, and Wildlife sectors, highlighting current surveillance protocols and response mechanisms for Avian Influenza outbreaks.

The need for enhanced environmental surveillance and updating existing protocols was emphasised.

Experts concurred on the necessity of proactive One Health Coordination to prepare for exotic and emergent zoonotic diseases like Avian Influenza.

The session also saw experts contend on vaccines against bird flu.

Currently available HPAI vaccines typically neither provide sterile immunity nor are 100 per cent effective against all strains.