Bird flu: no need for panic, says Atchannaidu-OxBig News Network

Agriculture Minister K. Atchannaidu has stated that there is no need for the public to panic about Avian flu or Bird flu, stating that the situation has significantly improved.

After a review meeting chaired by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on the spread of bird flu, the Minister addressing a press conference on Wednesday, dismissed the rumours circulating on social media that over 4 million chickens had died, and said they were false. He mentioned that while the State had 100 million chickens, only 5,42,000 had died due to the virus. The government was taking all necessary precautions. Even eggs from affected poultry farms were being disposed of.

The Minister said that such outbreaks occur during lower temperatures. The government has shut down shops within a 10-km radius of the affected areas. He reassured the public that there was no cause for worry, as the disease would subside as temperatures rise. The Minister pointed out that poor sanitation in poultry farms was a contributing factor to the spread of the disease, noting that the State has over 100 million chickens.