New Delhi, Feb 28 (PTI) Four cases of the highly-pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) in three pet cats and a bird have been detected in Madhya Pradesh, the Union health ministry said on Friday.

It added that necessary public-health measures were instituted after the avian influenza or bird-flu cases were notified on January 31 by the animal husbandry department.

Also Read | Uttarakhand Avalanche Update: 32 Construction Workers Rescued in Chamoli District, 25 Still Trapped in Snow.

"Consequent upon the notification of highly-pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1) in three pet cats and in a live bird market in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, the necessary public health measures were instituted," the ministry said in a statement.

The state has been asked to initiate control and containment operations in accordance with the Action Plan of Animal Husbandry for Prevention, Control and Containment of Avian Influenza (2021).

Also Read | 8th Pay Commission: NC-JCM Seeks Uniform Fitment Factor for Central Govt Employees Regardless of Pay Bands.

All the birds in the live-bird market were culled and the market was closed for 21 days from the date of issuance of a sanitisation certificate, the statement said.

Necessary actions, as outlined in the action plan of the animal husbandry department, have been initiated, it added.

Necessary measures laid down in the Contingency Plan (2005) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India have also also been initiated.

According to the statement, 65 human samples from veterinarians, other contacts and people working in the live bird market were collected and sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune for testing on February 10. "All were found negative for influenza," the statement said.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)