Dhanbad, Jan. 25: The district administration here has sealed the border with Bengal to check the entry of poultry products.

“Avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, has spread extensively in these districts in Bengal. As Dhanbad shares its border with Bengal, it is susceptible to the flu,” said sub-divisional magistrate D.C. Mishra, banning poultry products from Birbhum, Burdwan, South Dinajpur, Bankura and Murshidabad, among others.

Teams have been formed to collect blood samples of birds, spread awareness about bird flu and to act in emergencies. Five rapid response teams have been formed at the behest of police chief Shital Oraon. Comprising doctors and technicians, the team has been instructed to take immediate action in case the virus hits the district. Police stations have been put on alert. Police are maintaining a vigil along the Damodar and Barakar.

Dhanbad divisional railway had banned transport of chickens and eggs last week.

“We are not accepting any egg or chicken consignments from anywhere at the booking counters,” railway divisional public relations officer Amarendra Das said.

The police are also maintaining vigil along Damodar and Barakar rivers, the waterways used to import chicken. Nirsa and Balipur blocks that share their borders with Bengal are also under serious surveillance being vulnerable to the flu owing to their proximity to Bengal.

A central surveillance team that recently visited Dhanbad, sounded the alert and reported it to the state government. The state chief secretary had asked the Dhanbad civil surgeon to step up surveillance in the respective blocks.

Health department sources said that a culling team could kill as many as 300 birds each day. The administration has put all villages of eight Dhanbad blocks under special observation and constituted a control room comprising of officials from the animal husbandry, health and police.

Dhanbad bans poultry import