Lucknow: Bird flu and the scare generated by it is being met head-on by the state animal husbandry department. The department has undertaken an exhaustive drive to train veterinarian, para-veterinarian and the staff of other associated departments on the technical know-how of the disease and how best it can be combated. In the next stage, this know-how will be passed on to the farmers and the rearers of the birds. The two-month training, which ended on November 15, saw 1,263 veterinarians, 7,689 para-veterinarians and 7,000 employees of the other departments of the state being imparted the technical know-how about the disease under a World Bank-funded scheme. The need for training assumes importance as one of the three international fly ways, which are adopted by the migratory birds, passes through Uttar Pradesh. The virus of the flu is transported by water fowls, which are its carriers and who transport the same from one country to another. The migration takes place between September and February. Significantly, there are very few experts for this specialised branch and nor is there any separate cadre for the same. Chief technical officer Dr AU Qidwai says: