KARACHI, Oct 22: As the season for the migratory birds to arrive in the country has begun, wildlife lovers have urged the authorities to take precautionary steps to ensure that the annual visitors did not bring the deadly virus of bird flu with them.

As the weather gets cold in the Central Asian and Siberian regions the birds living there start their annual southward journey and many of these birds following one of the most important migration routes – Indus Flyway — come to the country to spend winters in comparatively warmer environment here.

These migratory birds had started arriving in the province and were sighted in the northern parts of Sindh over a couple of weeks back and now have been reported in the southern parts of the province as well, where bodies of some dead migratory birds have been reported at some wetlands in some areas of Thatta and Tando Mohammad Khan.

A former vice-chairman of the Sindh Wildlife Management Board, Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah Jamote, said that he had received reports that some dead migratory waterfowls were found in Southern Sindh a few days back.

Talking to Dawn on Friday Mr Jamote said that he was making efforts to obtain the remains of the dead birds so that these could be forwarded to the authorities for proper testing.

He said that the procedure of testing was hampered owing to the non-availability of H5N1 Antigen in Karachi, or even in Sindh.

He said that the deadly disease of bird flu had been reported in various countries where migratory birds had arrived, so it was possible that the infected migratory birds might be bringing in the deadly virus here as well with them.

Mr Jamote, who also represents the Safari and Outdoor Club of Pakistan, said that the club was also making efforts to acquire these testing facilities from the Pakistan Agriculture Research Council.

He said that the club had already reported these incidents of the dead fowl to the chief minister, the wildlife and forest minister, WHO and the FAO to look in to the issue and take precautionary steps so that the nation was not caught napping.

He said that the club had also offered assistance to prevent the proliferation of this deadly disease which could seriously affect the birdlife in the country. He said that it had also been noted that the migration this year was either much delayed or was reduced.

Mr Jamote also suggested that awareness campaigns be launched so that the people were well prepared and aware of the issue so that they could also take precautions.

He said that the deadly virus could spread from the infected birds to the local bird population in feeding grounds, after which it could transmit to the humans if the infected birds were consumed by people.

Mr Jamote said that the migratory birds were also hunted and if the birds were infected it could spread the deadly disease to the people. Besides a large number of poachers also illegally netted the migratory birds which are later sold in the markets and consumed by the people, he added.

Responding to Dawn queries, Sindh Wildlife Conservator Ghulam Hussain Channa said that he had also directed his staff to closely monitor the migratory birds and if they found any dead bodies of the migratory birds these be brought in so that thorough investigation could be carried out.

Mr Channa, however, said that though he had also heard the rumours of dead migratory fowl, he had not yet received any dead bodies on which tests could be conducted to arrive at a finding based on scientific evidence.