Gangtok, Sikkim – Authorities in Sikkim have sounded a high alert following confirmed cases of Avian Influenza (H5N1), directing district administrations to step up surveillance and enforce strict preventive measures.
The state government has asked officials to intensify monitoring, raise public awareness, and ensure immediate reporting of bird deaths. Health and veterinary departments are working jointly to contain the spread, urging citizens to remain vigilant while avoiding panic.
Avian Influenza, commonly known as Bird Flu, is a viral infection that primarily affects poultry and other birds. Though rare, human transmission can occur through direct contact with infected birds, droppings, or contaminated surfaces. Health officials have advised residents to seek medical attention if they develop symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, breathing difficulties, diarrhoea, or conjunctivitis, particularly after handling poultry.
The advisory stresses that residents must not touch sick or dead birds with bare hands and should immediately inform veterinary officers, block development officials, or local authorities about unusual bird deaths. Poultry farmers have been instructed to isolate suspected cases, halt movement of birds and related materials from affected areas, and cooperate fully with veterinary teams during inspections, culling, and sanitisation drives.
As part of precautionary measures, the government has directed that chicken and eggs be cooked thoroughly at temperatures above 70 degrees Celsius. Consumption of raw or undercooked poultry products has been strictly discouraged. Citizens have also been reminded to wash hands thoroughly after handling poultry or visiting live bird markets.
The advisory further prohibits the disposal of dead birds in open fields, forests, or water bodies to prevent environmental contamination. Sale and transport of poultry from affected zones will be regulated under official protocols, and concealment of information regarding bird deaths will invite legal action.
