Prudence, however, demands that we should take all possible precautions in this regard and be prepared to face any eventuality of any nature.
According to Minister of Agriculture, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, "though the poultry industry had suffered heavily because of the outbreak of bird flu this year, India would be in a position to declare the country free from this disease very soon (Government of India, 2006b)." To avoid any large scale avian flu pandemic, the Indian authorities have already announced various protective measures.