Date:01/02/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/02/01/stories/2008020160501200.htm

National

Complete culling by Saturday, West Bengal officials told

Special Correspondent

Target of poultry birds to be destroyed raised to 28 lakhs

— Photo: AFP

NO BUYERS: An egg vendor awaits customers in Kolkata on Thursday. Sale of chicken and poultry products in the city has been hit due to the outbreak of bird flu in West Bengal.

KOLKATA: The West Bengal government has instructed the authorities concerned in the 13 districts affected by the avian flu outbreak to complete all culling operations by Saturday. The target of poultry birds to be destroyed has been raised to 28 lakhs out of which more than 25 lakhs have been culled till now.

Vigil against any fresh outbreak will continue for another ten days after the completion of culling. The authorities have also been asked to be in a state of readiness and take the necessary steps in the event of any unusual bird death.

Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee held a videoconference with the district authorities on Thursday and took stock of the situation.

Later Anisur Rahaman, Minister for Animal Resources Development, said that culling operations in most of the affected districts had been completed. The target had to be revised following the spread of the disease to new areas in some districts but the progress of work is satisfactory, he added.

Surya Kanta Mishra, the State’s Health Minister, said that no humans have been affected by avian flu influenza and door-to-door surveillance was being carried out among the local people in the areas that have been hit by the outbreak to check if any person has been infected by the virus.

The total population to be covered is more than 18 lakhs, he said.

Those engaged in culling operations will be quarantined for ten days after they have completed their job and will be administered medicine to eliminate any possibility of infection, Dr. Mishra said.