During the three-day workshop, the pharmacists were made aware of the disastrous impact of an avian influenza outbreak on the economy.

Dr Vinay Mohan, a senior scientist at the Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (RDDL) in Jalandhar, called for having a dedicated surveillance to keep a check on the bird flu outbreak.

“Strict vigilance, timely guidance and sincere advise to poultry farmers in particular and the public in general will go a long way in clearing all kinds of doubts and misconceptions about bird flu,” Mohan told the attending pharmacists.

He also asked them not to encourage farmers to have a mix of poultry and pig farming.

Dr Joginder Singh, Assistant Director, Animal Husbandry, Ludhiana told the trainees to keep a strict watch on the movement of migratory birds which are potential carriers of the virus.

Earlier in the day, Joint Director of Animal Husbandry in Punjab government, Dr Darshan Singh said: “Avian Influenza virus can wreck havoc with the economic status of poultry farmers followed by the state and the nation. A full-fledged and flourishing poultry belt can be reduced to ashes within a span of 24 hours.”

During the workshop that concluded on Saturday, the pharmacists were informed about the basic characters of the ever mutating avian influenza virus.

They were also taught about various sampling techniques that are adopted in case of bird flu outbreak.