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Bird flu: Delhi govt orders poultry markets to reopen after samples from Ghazipur mandi test negative

YB WEB DESK. Dated: 1/15/2021 11:26:46 AM

New Delhi, Jan 14 Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has directed poultry markets to open and withdrawn the restriction on trade and import of chicken stock after 100 samples taken from Asia's largest poultry market in Delhi's Ghazipur tested negative for bird flu on Thursday. Officials on Thursday said bird flu has not spread among chickens in Delhi after all the 100 samples taken from the Ghazipur poultry market tested negative. The results came a day after civic authorities imposed a temporary ban on sale and storage of poultry or processed chicken meat in view of the bird flu situation in the national capital. "Samples taken from poultry markets have tested negative with respect to Bird Flu. Have directed to open the poultry market & withdraw the orders to restrict trade & import of chicken stocks," Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said in a tweet. Earlier, samples taken from crows and ducks at parks and lakes in Delhi tested positive for avian influenza. The Delhi government decided to ban the sale of processed and packaged chicken brought from outside the city and ordered a shutdown of the wholesale poultry market in east Delhi for 10 days as a precautionary measure after samples taken from crows and ducks at parks and lakes in the national capital tested positive for avian influenza. The Ghazipur market located on the Delhi- Uttar Pradesh border is a key supplier of poultry products in the region. Chickens, geese, ducks and turkeys are among the poultry birds bred by farmers for their eggs and meat. "Test results of 104 samples arrived on Wednesday evening. Of these, 100 samples were collected from 35 poultry birds in the Ghazipur market. All samples have tested negative for bird flu.