Bhubaneswar: Amid bird flu outbreak in Odisha, two human cases of avian influenza have been detected in the state, said Gokula Nanda Mallik, Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Minister today.

Samples from Pipili and Sakhigopal of Puri district were sent to Bhopal for testing, and the reports were positive. So far, 30,000 chickens have been culled while sanitization and other precautionary measures are being undertaken, the minister said.

He clarified that there is no restriction on consuming chicken in areas not affected by bird flu. To compensate the farmers for their losses, the department has proposed a plan to pay Rs 20 for each small chicken and Rs 70 for each large chicken. The department has also been directed to take precautionary steps to prevent the spread of bird flu.

In the areas where bird flu has been detected, restrictions have been imposed on the transportation and consumption of chickens.

However, the Public Health Department has clarified that there is no confirmed report of bird flu in humans. Samples have been collected from a person in Puri who showed symptoms, and the results are expected within seven days. Samples will also be collected from those who were in contact with the individual, the department said.

On the other hand, a team of doctors reached Durgadaspur in Pipili to take the person, who is suspected to have been infected, to the hospital. He will be taken to Mangalpur Hospital in Pipili, where he will be kept in the isolation ward.