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The government will decide this week the probable measures to avert the outbreak of the bird flu in the country that might pose a great threat to the economy and cause significant human losses.
A high-powered committee with representations from different ministries and private actors involved in the poultry sector has been formed to find out the possible measures against the deadly avian flu, sources said.
"Import ban on poultry birds or chicks from the avian flu-prone countries is not the only solution. Some preventive measures like building awareness among the public and the poultry farmers, regular monitoring and observation are also necessary," said Secretary General of the Bangladesh Poultry Industries Association (BPIA) Syed Abu Siddique.
Ministry sources said the committee will also discuss about procuring medicines and vaccines against spread of bird flu virus.
Siddique said all the major poultry farmers of Savar, Gazipur, Mymensingh and Tangail areas gathered at a meeting last Saturday where they raised the issue of bird flu outbreak and possible losses on account of it.
Some international agencies including World Health Organisation (WHO), World Bank (WB), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and other development partners working in Bangladesh was also included in the committee as they showed interest to work with the local partners on this issue, sources said.
The country might be able to protect the normal avian flu, but the protection against flu from migratory birds will be difficult, Siddique said.
He said some local pharmaceutical companies are also able to produce vaccines against the normal bird flu and it would be effective if it breaks out in the country.
"We should also take into account the factors that influence our local markets. Any rumour of bird flu may cause enormous financial losses to the poultry operators that was noticed two years ago when the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) broke out in some South East Asian countries," Siddique said.
The farmers and the consumers should not be afraid of the bird flu as the country is still free from it, he said, adding that rumours may create undue panic and trigger sharp price fall of poultry birds.
Until now, the country is capable to test the bird flu virus, if it breaks out it will need vaccines, experts said.
The bird flu that has been threatening the economy and human lives of some European and East Asian countries is yet to be prevented, according to several international dailies.
The outbreak of bird flu in the country may destroy the entire investment in the sector worth Tk 60 billion besides triggering countless human casualties, Siddique said.
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