NEW DELHI: With fears of the Avian Flu virus crossing borders, five North Indian States including the Capital have been put on a high alert.

Delhi boasts of a dozen "winter home sites" for migratory birds and is flooded each year with the foreign guests who stay on here till March. High on the agenda then is the need to sanitise and ensure adequate safety for birds housed at the National Zoological Park, better known as Delhi Zoo.

"The threat of the deadly avian flu virus that plagued most of Europe, Africa, and Asia is very real and with the migratory birds already starting to come to India we have equipped ourselves with information on the extend of the threat to our birds and to identify symptoms and formulate a response scheme,'' explained Delhi Zoo veterinary officer Paneer Selvam.

Delhi zoo officials have formed a core group with vets from Indian Veterinary Research Institution, Wildlife Institute of India, Mathura Veterinary College and Hissar Veterinary College and help of amateur bird watchers has also been sought to keep a tab on any trail of the virus in the city.

"With the country ill-equipped to provide avian flu vaccine to its captive birds we have opted for watch and ward policy. With migratory ducks having already flown into the Delhi Zoo, we are keeping a strict watch on the behaviour and symptoms of the birds. Wetlands are also to be closely monitored where the migratory birds are known to visit,'' said Dr. Selvam.

Meanwhile, forest and wildlife officials of five North Indian States Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir along with representatives of Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and Bombay Natural History Society recently participated in a workshop to formulate a uniform code of precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the avian influenza in the country.

Information is also being provided to officials about the set of prescribed tools for collection of samples in migratory birds for disease surveillance, mode of transmission of the virus, pathogenesis and post-mortem lesion.

Various species of birds including Bar-headed geese, Great black headed gull, Brown headed gull, Ruddy Shelduck and Great Cormorant are known to visit India every year.

Avian influenza (H5N1 strain) is highly contagious and can become lethal in domestic and wild birds. "At present, the two antiviral drugs Oseltamavir and Zanamavir would probably work to treat influenza caused by the H5N1 virus. However, there is no commercially available vaccine to protect humans against the deadly virus, '' explained vice chairman, WTI, Ashok Kumar.

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