LANXESS' Virkon™ S helps contain Bird Flu outbreak in Patna zoo

by Shrutee K/DNS

Mumbai – Virkon™ S, one of the world's leading veterinary disinfectants, from specialty chemicals company LANXESS, has helped contain the recent outbreak of Avian Influenza (commonly known as Bird Flu) in the Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park, Patna in Bihar. Incidentally, the presence of H5N1 strain of Avian Influenza was first detected in Bihar from the viscera of dead birds in six villages of Asarganj block in Munger district of Bihar on December 21. The report of the bird flu outbreak led to the culling of over 1400 birds in Munger district alone and another 100 in Patna.

Virkon™ S is recognized worldwide as the disinfectant of choice for the emergency disease control of Avian Influenza. Sanitization work for the containment of bird flu in Patna zoo was successfully performed by local authorities and Virkon™ S has been independently proven to be effective against highly pathogenic Avian Influenza virus strains. It has also been sprayed in the lion, tiger and leopard enclosures as a precautionary measure.

Studies carried out by independent international test laboratories have proven that Virkon™ S inactivates highly pathogenic Avian Influenza strains with a short contact time and in the face of challenging farm conditions such as heavy organic challenge, dilution by rain water and a wide range of temperatures, and the broad range of disease-causing organisms that can exist on farms. Virkon™ S is recommended for use at a dilution rate of 1:100 for preventative and continuous biosecurity measures to provide high levels of efficacy.

The highly efficacious nature of Virkon™ S has been demonstrated in a series of tests against members of the orthomyxoviridae virus family (including Avian influenza H5N1), and, by association, would be expected to inactivate the H5N8 strain.

In recent years, India has suffered multiple outbreaks of Avian Influenza H5N1 and it is becoming a growing concern for poultries. Various factors like high density of poultry population, movement of poultry and poultry products from infected areas within the country and mixed rearing of chickens has made India vulnerable to primary incursion of Avian Influenza. The main source of such outbreaks are the migratory birds that fly in from Siberia into India and is further spread by the inward movement of the infected birds within the country.

Anand Muthureddy, Head – Business Unit Material Protection Products, LANXESS India, commented, “Our product Virkon™ S has proven to be highly effective in tackling such highly contagious diseases as we have put in a lot of R&D and testing behind it to make it a potent measure against such diseases and outbreaks. We are happy to be able to help the local authorities in containing the avian influenza outbreak effectively.”