Bhubaneswar: Hours after announcing the detection of two human cases of bird flu in Odisha, the government made a U-turn and said there was no confirmed case of avian influenza in human being in the state.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling claimed that no confirmed case of avian influenza in human being has so far been detected in Odisha.

The Health Minister made this statement a few hours after Fisheries and Animal Resources Minister Gokula Nanda Mallik revealed that two human cases of bird flu have been detected in the state.

The state government confirmed the detection of Bird flu cases in Satyabadi and Pipli blocks of Puri district after samples from the two areas tested positive for avian influenza at the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) in Bhopal.

“Micro and ground level action plan are in place to contain the spread of bird flu in the state. Groud level actions including culling of infected birds and daily surveillance in the affected areas have been undertaken as per the Avian Influenza Containment Protocol,” said the Health Minister.

The health officials have started door-to-door visit in the bird flu affected areas of Satyabadi and Pipli block to detect any suspected case of ILI & SARI in the localities, he added.

“Daily health check-up of cullers, firm owners and their family members are being done for any symptoms of influenza. An isolation ward has been functionalised at community health centre (CHC) at Mangalpur for quarantine of suspected persons,” said the Health Minister.

 A member of the bird culling team, who had ILI symptoms even before the culling started, has been isolated and his samples have been collected and sent to RMRC, Bhubaneswar for diagnosis. He is now under medication, said the Health department.