Bird flu scare in Karnataka as 6 crows found dead in Dakshina Kannada; samples sent for testing
Bengaluru: Amid the bird flu (H5N8) outbreak in Kerala, six crows have died in the border district of Dakshina Kannada in Karnataka and their samples had been sent for tests to ascertain the cause of death, Health Minister K Sudhakar said on Thursday.
Necessary precautionary measures have been taken in all districts sharing borders with Kerala to prevent bird flu, he said, adding there was no need for any worry.
"Six crows have died in Dakshina Kannada district and their samples have been sent for testing. Officials of the Health and Animal Husbandry department will get the test reports," Sudhakar told reporters here.
He said health and veterinary sciences officials have been maintaining a strict vigil in the border districts including Dakshina Kannada, Kodagu, Mysuru, and Chamarajanagar.
"Once we get the report based on it, we will discuss it with the union health ministry and come out with guidelines and necessary action... people need not worry but maintain caution," he said.
The central health ministry has asked non-vegetarians to eat properly cooked meat, the Minister added.
Karnataka Animal Husbandry Minister Prabhu Chauhan on Wednesday had asked all districts to be on "high alert" and take preventive measures but said there were no cases of bird flu reported in the state so far.
Bird flu has been reported in parts of Alappuzha and Kottayam districts in Kerala, prompting officials to cull over 69,000 birds, including ducks and chicken.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
