Chennai, February 13 The Tamil Nadu government on Friday allayed fears of bird flu in the state and appealed to the public to inform the local body or the Animal Husbandry department if any dead bird was spotted.
Chief Secretary N Muruganandham chaired a review meeting here which was attended by senior officials of the Health and Family Welfare, Municipal Administration departments, among others.
During the meeting, Public Health and Preventive Medicine Director A Somasundaram explained the mode of bird flu transmission and confirmed that no human cases have been reported in the state, an official release quoting him said.
He detailed the precautionary measures taken by the Public Health department to prevent an outbreak, it said.
A district-level advisory meeting was conducted on February 6 in which adequate instructions were issued regarding coordination of various departments for taking preventive measures.
"Comprehensive guidelines to prevent the transmission of bird flu to humans have been dispatched to all concerned departments," it said.
It was decided to issue an advisory to the public requesting them not to panic regarding bird flu and if dead crows or birds are spotted anywhere, members of the public should inform the Animal Husbandry department or local bodies, the release said.
People who are suffering from fever, cold or difficulty in breathing should immediately visit the nearest government hospital.
While consuming poultry products such as chicken, people should ensure that the food is cooked properly, the release said.
The government also urged people not to believe in rumors and may contact the 24-hour helpline 104 that has been set up to clarify doubts on bird flu.
On February 10, the death of a number of crows in Vedasandur in Dindigul district triggered concerns among the public and health department officials clarified that there was no need to worry about it.
