Date:24/01/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/01/24/stories/2008012461021200.htm

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Nine districts affected by bird flu

Special Correspondent

KOLKATA: Two more districts were added on Wednesday to the list of seven affected by the avian flu outbreak in West Bengal, bringing the tally close to half the total number of districts (19 including Kolkata) in the State.

Anxiety spread and surveillance was intensified given the proximity of Hooghly district — the most recent to be struck by the disease — to the city.

The outbreak also spread further north with samples of dead poultry birds from Cooch Behar being declared positive after tests were conducted in the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory in Bhopal.

“It has been confirmed that one block in each of the two districts has been affected by avian flu. Vigil has been stepped up in Kolkata as it is located close to Hooghly district. A check is being made to prevent the movement of chickens and poultry products into the city from that district,” Anisur Rahaman, Minister for Animal Resources Development, told The Hindu. No humans have been afflicted, he added.

The districts affected by the disease earlier are: Murshidabad, South Dinajpur, Murshidabad, Bankura, Burdwan, Nadia and Malda. Fresh areas in Nadia and Murshidabad districts have been hit.

So far 34 blocks in the nine districts have been affected besides four municipality areas. Nearly 1.13 lakh chickens, mainly from backyard poultries, have died from the disease, Mr Rahaman said.

With the addition of two more districts to the total, the number of poultry birds to be culled, which had earlier been set at 21 lakhs, is now expected to rise. A target has been set to destroy 3 lakh birds every day.

Special Correspondent reports from Patna:

The Bihar government on Wednesday ordered culling of chickens in Katihar district, neighbouring West Bengal, and sent an SOS to the Centre for assistance. Apart from prohibiting import of chickens from West Bengal and imposing a check at its borders, the State government, as a precautionary measure, directed the Katihar district administration to cull chickens in six panchayats bordering Malda district of West Bengal to check the spread of bird flu.

The decision to take preventive measures in Khasota, Mimaua, Deogaon, Sitalpati, Garghatu and Anarsinghpur panchayats was taken after the State government learnt of a suspected case of bird flu in Mohammadpur panchayat of Malda district in West Bengal.