NERC Poultry

Poultry farming is a thriving economic activity and millions all over the world depend upon it for their day to day living. Any adverse impact in this segment is bound to have far reaching consequences. Bird flu has proved to be a double-edged sword for the government of any country. Firstly, its economy is affected with the adverse tidings in the poultry sector. Secondly, it requires huge resources to fight the pandemic menace. Therefore, it is an economic disaster for any country, if threatened on a big scale by bird-flu.

Panic– is the initial reaction by the health authorities of any country, when its birds and animals are attacked by the disease. The second reaction is from the people, the chicken eaters and the abrupt fall in the poultry business! There are three strong reasons for panic all over. Firstly, your income from poultry has stopped. Secondly, you require money and labor to destroy the affected stock of birds. Thirdly, you need funds again for preventive measures. With the definite instances of the disease knocking off human beings, increase in the health bill is substantial.

Asian and African countries have been the first to bear the brunt of the attack of bird flu. The latest country to be affected is an African country, Ghana. The Health Minister tried his best to assuage the fears of the people by issuing a press statement on 29-6-2006 and told them not to become panicky.

He told the media persons at Bolgatanga, Ghana: “You’ve heard from everyone else…now let’s hear from the chicken.” He further said, “The collapse of the poultry industry in the country would deal a blow to Government’s policy of private enterprise development and we should not allow this to happen.”

On the research front, the Australian researchers are ready with their vaccine to be tested on human beings, a group of 150 volunteers. The effectiveness of the vaccine is yet to be proved, whether it is capable of meeting the challenges of the bird flu. This is done at the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research and Princess Margaret Hospital for Children. They are recruiting a posse of 150 volunteers for experimenting with this vaccine. Since there is no live virus in the vaccine, chances of catching infection from the vaccine are nil.

As for Great Britain, the country is reportedly unprepared to meet the imminent threat of bird flu pandemic, according to some senior medical practitioners in London. As per a BBC quote about their reactions, “We will have an influenza pandemic sooner or later-it’s 37 years since the last pandemic- there tend to be three every century and I think it is a matter of when rather than if. It needs adequate preparation. If 25 percent of the population becomes infected, which is the Department of Health’s estimate, you could expect maybe 40 percent of people away form work.”

It is a desperate situation in Russia as for bird flu and it is taking desperate measures to contain it. It has banned poultry products from Hungary, to prevent the spread of bird flu. To contain the spread of the virus, it has culled 335,000 domestic fowl. Over million fowl have died of the disease.

As far as the birds are concerned, World War III has begun!

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Aasheesh Jain

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