No bird flu virus detected in Faisalabad

Faisalabad livestock district officer said no bird flu virus had been detected in the district hence there is not need to get unnecessarily alarmed or panicky about the false rumours regarding the disease.
Dr Akbar Ali Ch, district officer, livestock stated this during a meeting held in the office of district co-ordination officer (DCO) to adopt preventive measures against a threat of the virus.
The meeting, presided over by DCO Major Azam Suleman Khan (Retd), was attended by EDOs of health and agriculture departments, district officers of revenue, livestock and agriculture, all TMOs, Allied & DHQ Hospitals medical superintendents and others.
The meeting discussed the bird flu scenario, different steps for public awareness and preventive measures for ensuring minimum possible damage in the outbreak of the disease.
DCO Azam Suleman Khan directed the DO livestock to evolve a mechanism under which it could be ensured that all poultry products being sent to the market both at whole sale and retail level were duly certified to be disease-free and fit for human consumption. Similarly, registration of all poultry farms and hatcheries should also be carried out by the Livestock Department and concerned TMAs.
The meeting emphasised the need for regular periodic visits by the veterinary doctors & field staff of the poultry department to all poultry farms in the district to monitor the flock condition, hygienic measures and disease surveillance.
Such visits reports should reach the DCO Office on daily basis routed duly through the DO Livestock and EDO Agriculture Office for making him aware of the progress, the DCO directed.
He said that a reporting mechanism should also be evolved for ensuring timely report in case of disease outbreak to all concerned officers of health, livestock and administration so that timely steps could be taken for treating the effected people and effective measures be adopted for disposing of diseased flocks.
The EDO Health informed the meeting that all preventive & precautionary measures had been taken in the district for combating the looming threat of bird flu.
Besides, he urged to form a special committee comprising representatives from health, agriculture & livestock departments for monitoring the position.
In this regard, beds have been reserved and doctors and paramedics put on alert call in both hospitals to treat the bird flu patients in case of disease outbreak in the district.
He said that a district crisis management cell had been established in his office under the supervision of Liaqat Chatha, Senior Administrative Officer, who could be contacted on phone No 9200214.
Among others the meeting was also attended by EDO Health Dr Umar Farooq Khan, EDO Agriculture Ashraf Cheema, EDO IT Ashiq Dogar, DO Livestock Dr Akbar Ali Ch; DO Revenue Asif Qureshi and DOC Malik Aslam.