A rapid response team from the Union Health Ministry held an emergency meeting in Imphal tonight with the Manipur Chief Secretary and senior officials of the state health, veterinary and police departments, to work out precautions in view of a “strong indication” that bird flu has been detected in the state.

The alert was sounded following the receipt of a report from the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory in Bhopal where samples were sent from the 132 chicken that died — of 144 — at Chingmeirong farm early this month.

When contacted by The Indian Express tonight, HSADL Joint Director S C Dubey confirmed that he had sent the report to the Agriculture Ministry. He, however, added: “I can neither confirm nor deny (whether bird flu has been confirmed).”

Health Ministry officials here said they were awaiting further tests before the formal announcement. They said the outbreak could be of a “freak” nature as other chicken in the farm were found to be not infected.

But the Government isn’t taking any chances given reports of the H5N1 bird flu virus in neighbouring Myanmar and Bangladesh in March and May this year.

So the Regional Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) Hospital in Imphal has already set up a special cell to handle any emergency. Two Central officials, A B Negi, joint commissioner in the Agriculture Ministry and an official from the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, have been camping in Imphal since July 15.

This could be the third report of avian flu in the country and the first since April last year. The first outbreak was reported in Maharashtra last year in a small area running contiguously with Gujarat. The second one was also reported in Maharashtra.

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