Fresh bird flu cases confirmed in Murshidabad, West Bengal
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Fresh cases of bird flu were confirmed in a Murshidabad district, West Bengal on Saturday, almost a month after roughly four million birds were culled to combat India's worst ever outbreak of the deadly avian influenza.
Kolkata: Fresh cases of bird flu were confirmed in a middle West Bengal district on Saturday, almost a month after roughly four million birds were culled to combat India's worst ever outbreak of the deadly avian influenza.
“We have received confirmation of bird flu (the deadly H5N1 strain) in two villages of Murshidabad district. The two villages are Nayamukundapur in Raghunathgunj Block II and Dohapara village in Murshidabad-Jiagunj block,” Murshidabad district magistrate Subir Bhadra said.
The two areas- where about 900 poultry birds died in the past week- are about 300 km from Kolkata. Bhadra said the samples that were recently sent to the National Animal Research Laboratory in Bhopal from the two villages had tested positive. He said about 60 rapid response teams would start culling chickens and ducks in the affected areas soonest. “The preparations are on. If might start culling from Sunday evening or Monday morning,” he said.
In Kolkata, West Bengal Animal Resource Development (ARD) Minister Anisur Rahman said he had heard about the fresh outbreak and culling would start Sunday itself. “The areas from where the reports came are not new areas. We will start culling Sunday,” he said. Rahman said about four million birds were culled till February middle since the outbreak was confirmed on January 15 this year.
Early February, it was hoped that the worst bird flu crisis ever was over after the completion of culling. The ban on sale and consumption of poultry products and meat was also lifted from 13 of the 19 West Bengal districts where the flu raged. The West Bengal government in early February had allayed fears of human infection in the avian-flu hit state, after all the 19 people in the state whose blood samples were sent to central laboratories had tested negative.
In West Bengal, the H5N1 virus that causes avian influenza had hit parts of 13 out of 19 districts. About 1.8 million people stay in the affected areas, Rahman had said.
Bird flu was confirmed in West Bengal on January 15. The affected districts were South 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly, Birbhum, South Dinajpur, Murshidabad, Nadia, Burdwan, Bankura, Malda, Cooch Behar, Purulia and West Midnapore.
In neighbouring Bangladesh, which shares a long border with West Bengal, bird flu had affected 29 of the 64 districts. The outbreak in that country was announced on January 3.
“We have received confirmation of bird flu (the deadly H5N1 strain) in two villages of Murshidabad district. The two villages are Nayamukundapur in Raghunathgunj Block II and Dohapara village in Murshidabad-Jiagunj block,” Murshidabad district magistrate Subir Bhadra said.
The two areas- where about 900 poultry birds died in the past week- are about 300 km from Kolkata. Bhadra said the samples that were recently sent to the National Animal Research Laboratory in Bhopal from the two villages had tested positive. He said about 60 rapid response teams would start culling chickens and ducks in the affected areas soonest. “The preparations are on. If might start culling from Sunday evening or Monday morning,” he said.
In Kolkata, West Bengal Animal Resource Development (ARD) Minister Anisur Rahman said he had heard about the fresh outbreak and culling would start Sunday itself. “The areas from where the reports came are not new areas. We will start culling Sunday,” he said. Rahman said about four million birds were culled till February middle since the outbreak was confirmed on January 15 this year.
Early February, it was hoped that the worst bird flu crisis ever was over after the completion of culling. The ban on sale and consumption of poultry products and meat was also lifted from 13 of the 19 West Bengal districts where the flu raged. The West Bengal government in early February had allayed fears of human infection in the avian-flu hit state, after all the 19 people in the state whose blood samples were sent to central laboratories had tested negative.
In West Bengal, the H5N1 virus that causes avian influenza had hit parts of 13 out of 19 districts. About 1.8 million people stay in the affected areas, Rahman had said.
Bird flu was confirmed in West Bengal on January 15. The affected districts were South 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly, Birbhum, South Dinajpur, Murshidabad, Nadia, Burdwan, Bankura, Malda, Cooch Behar, Purulia and West Midnapore.
In neighbouring Bangladesh, which shares a long border with West Bengal, bird flu had affected 29 of the 64 districts. The outbreak in that country was announced on January 3.
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