Guwahati: Several States in the Northeast have sounded a health alert in view of bird flu epidemic which has hit South Asian countries.

According to official sources, the Assam Government has announced a series of measures, including heightening vigil along the international border, to prevent smuggling of poultry into the State from the neighbouring countries of China, Myanmar, Bhutan and Bangladesh, with whom the Northeast shares more than 4,000 km-long border.

The State Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Department has asked the Border Security Force (BSF) to keep a close watch on the international border to foil any attempt to import poultry at cheaper prices from these neighbouring countries.

"We have taken all possible measures to ensure that the suspected bird flu does not hit the State," P Das, the Director of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Department, said.

Meanwhile, Manipur and Mizoram are contemplating to seal the borders against the deadly virus.

Manipur and Mizoram Health Department officials said special monitoring cells have been opened to prevent the outbreak of the deadly disease.