Howrah News Service -  Latest news and headlines on Howrah,West Bengal and World: West Bengal still struggles with bird flu

West Bengal still struggles with bird flu
================================================================================
LOCALCORRESPONDENT on 18 April, 2008 06:34:00
 
"I am afraid the way the bird flu is being handled in Bengal is not enough to
stamp it out, I think we may see the first human case soon,'' said Dr Anbumani
Ramadoss, Union Health Minister.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation or FAO also shares the same fear as the
affected area has a high density of people and poultry.
After a visit in mid-February, FAO officials had warned that the disease would
strike back.
In districts like Nadia, where the outbreak was first reported, culling was
patchy with many ducks and chicken left untouched. And the repeat outbreaks in
the same area show that the clean-up had not been done properly.
But the West Bengal government has said that it worked to protocol, culling
over 3.9 million chicken and ducks since January.
''We have met every requirement,'' said Anis-ur-Rahman, Minister of Animal
Husbandry, West Bengal.
But a worried Centre is now planning to intensify the response to the outbreak.
In order to do so a meeting is scheduled at the end of this month.