Karnataka government's finance department has disbursed Rs 81 lakh to purchase gloves, masks and other safety devices for officials to inspect poultry farms. To meet the exigencies, the Centre has been requested the stated to keep ready vaccine doses worth Rs. 42 lakh.

The government has sought to allay apprehensions among consumers of poultry products and stated that there was no case for panic of bird flu in the state.

In a high level meeting, Dr. VS Acharaya, Minister for Medical Education and R Ashok, Minister for Health and Family Welfare, stated that poultry farmers and consumers need not be apprehensive as all efforts are made to monitor the epidemic, despite the death of 12,000 chickens which succumbed in a poultry farm at Shimoga district which were affected by infectious bursal disease (IBD) and not on account of bird flu. Birds were infected by IBD because of negligence of farm owners, they added.

The state's Animal Health and Veterinary Biologicals at Hebbal in Bangalore has sent 938 samples to the Animal Disease Laboratory, Bhopal and none of them was tested positive. The tests are based on faecal samples, nasal swabs and blood serum of birds from backyard poultry and bird sanctuaries which includes both wild and migratory birds. An additional 150 samples from poultry farms have been sent and a report is awaited.

To prevent the spread of bird flu, the state has banned the entry of poultry products from Maharashtra. A core committee comprising officials of health, forest, animal husbandry, home and transport departments has been formed to monitor the situation on a daily basis and check the entry of poultry products in the state.