India: Assam, AVIAN INFLUENZA A/H5N1 IN POULTRY (December 2008+)

[HenryN]

Re: India: Assam, AVIAN INFLUENZA A/H5N1 IN POULTRY (December 2008+)

http://164.100.52.41/

In <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:country-region><st1:place>Assam</st1:place></st1:country-region>, more than one lakh fifty thousand poultry birds have been culled so far in the bird flu affected areas of the State. 432 Rapid Response Teams have been deployed for culling operation in 83 villages in Kamrup Nalbari, Barpeta and Baksa districts after confirmation of spread of avian influenza.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

[HenryN]

Re: India: Assam, AVIAN INFLUENZA A/H5N1 IN POULTRY (December 2008+)

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=j style="WIDTH: 37em">Weather for Guwahati, Assam, India
- Add to iGoogle
</TD></TR><TR><TD>81?F
Current: Haze
Wind: N at 6 mph
Humidity: 44%

Mon

<NOBR>82?F | 57?F</NOBR>
Tue

<NOBR>82?F | 57?F</NOBR>
Wed

<NOBR>80?F | 60?F</NOBR>
Thu

<NOBR>77?F | 59?F</NOBR>

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

[HenryN]

Re: India: Assam, AVIAN INFLUENZA A/H5N1 IN POULTRY (December 2008+)

<TABLE class="full open" id=wundfct_bar cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2><TBODY><TR><TD class=full>Extended Forecast</TD><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE class=dataTable cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><THEAD><TR><TD colSpan=2>Updated: 5:30 AM IST on December 08, 2008</TD></TR></THEAD><TBODY><TR class=wHover><TD></TD><TD class=full>Monday
Scattered Clouds. High: 82? F. / 28? C. Wind light. </TD></TR><?cs# set:CHECKTIME=Fct.time.epoch+#43200?><TR class=wHover><TD></TD><TD class=full>Monday Night
Clear. Low: 57? F. / 14? C. Wind light. </TD></TR><TR class=wHover><TD></TD><TD class=full>Tuesday
Clear. High: 82? F. / 28? C. Wind light. </TD></TR><?cs# set:CHECKTIME=Fct.time.epoch+#43200?><TR class=wHover><TD></TD><TD class=full>Tuesday Night
Clear. Low: 57? F. / 14? C. Wind light. </TD></TR><TR class=wHover><TD></TD><TD class=full>Wednesday
Scattered Clouds. High: 80? F. / 27? C. Wind light. </TD></TR><?cs# set:CHECKTIME=Fct.time.epoch+#43200?><TR class=wHover><TD></TD><TD class=full>Wednesday Night
Scattered Clouds. Low: 60? F. / 16? C. Wind light. </TD></TR><TR class=wHover><TD></TD><TD class=full>Thursday
Chance of Rain. Partly Cloudy. High: 77? F. / 25? C. Wind light. Chance of precipitation 20%. </TD></TR><?cs# set:CHECKTIME=Fct.time.epoch+#43200?><TR class=wHover><TD></TD><TD class=full>Thursday Night
Scattered Clouds. Low: 59? F. / 15? C. Wind light. </TD></TR><TR class=wHover><TD></TD><TD class=full>Friday
Overcast. High: 77? F. / 25? C. Wind light. </TD></TR><?cs# set:CHECKTIME=Fct.time.epoch+#43200?><TR class=wHover><TD></TD><TD class=full>Friday Night
Scattered Clouds. Low: 57? F. / 14? C. Wind light. </TD></TR><TR class=wHover><TD></TD><TD class=full>Saturday
Scattered Clouds. High: 77? F. / 25? C. Wind light. </TD></TR><?cs# set:CHECKTIME=Fct.time.epoch+#43200?><TR class=wHover><TD></TD><TD class=full>Saturday Night
Clear. Low: 57? F. / 14? C. Wind light. </TD></TR><TR class=wHover><TD></TD><TD class=full>Sunday
Clear. High: 80? F. / 27? C. Wind light. </TD></TR><?cs# set:CHECKTIME=Fct.time.epoch+#43200?><TR class=wHover><TD></TD><TD class=full>Sunday Night
Clear. Low: 51? F. / 11? C. Wind light. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

[HenryN]

Re: India: Assam, AVIAN INFLUENZA A/H5N1 IN POULTRY (December 2008+)

Assam sends more samples for avian flu virus confirmation
Guwahati | Monday, Dec 8 2008 IST


The dreaded avian flu threatened to spread to more Assam districts with samples sent to Bhopal for testing the presence of H5N1 virus from a fifth district, Chirang, after bird flu was confirmed in four other lower Assam districts.
Unnatural death of poultry was reported from a small farm in Chirang district yesterday and the Veterinary department officials responded immediately and visited the site. Suspecting a possible bird flu infection, samples were sent to the Bhopal-based High Security Disease Diagnostic Laboratory today, state Veterinary department director Dr A K Kotoky informed. Reacting to reports that the virus has spread to Baksa district, he clarified that preventive culling was undertaken in some Baksa villages as those villages fall under three km radius of the place in bordering Barpeta district, where bird flu was confirmed.
He said, '' There has been no case of bird flu in Baksa so far.
It is just preventive culling. The virus has already been confirmed in poultry in four districts Kamrup (both rural and metro), Nalbari and Barpeta. The first outbreak was detected in Rajabazaar area of Hajo, in Kamrup (rural) district, in the last week of November.'' Culling of about two lakh birds had been targeted and more than fifty per cent of the target had already been achieved. All districts had already been put on high alert after the confirmation of the first outbreak almost ten days ago with a publicity campaign also being launched to check smuggle of poultry from affected areas as well as to ensure that owners cooperate in handing over poultry in affected areas for culling.
-- (UNI) -- 08CA50.xml

http://news.webindia123.com/news/Articles/India/20081208/1123761.html

[HenryN]

Re: India: Assam, a new confirmed h5n1 poultry epizootic (11/26/2008) [rsoe edis]

<TABLE style="WIDTH: auto"><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD style="FONT-SIZE: 11px; FONT-FAMILY: arial,sans-serif; TEXT-ALIGN: right">From TABLES</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Note that all positive H5N1 samples from Assam were from TISSUE (not serum).

[Shiloh]

Re: India: Assam, AVIAN INFLUENZA A/H5N1 IN POULTRY (December 2008+)

Niman wrote:
Note that all positive H5N1 samples from Assam were from TISSUE (not serum).

Is that significant??

[HenryN]

Re: India: Assam, AVIAN INFLUENZA A/H5N1 IN POULTRY (December 2008+)

Niman wrote:
Note that all positive H5N1 samples from Assam were from TISSUE (not serum).

Is that significant??

Yes. Most testing in India is on serum. Tissue testing is from dead or dying birds.

[HenryN]

Re: India: Assam, AVIAN INFLUENZA A/H5N1 IN POULTRY (December 2008+)

<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=articleheader>MMC Hospital sets up isolation wards for flu

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=articleauthor>A STAFF REPORTER </TD></TR><TR><TD class=story align=left><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width=172 align=left><TBODY><TR><TD> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=articleauthor align=left></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Dec. 7: Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital has geared up to accommodate any human victim suffering from avian influenza virus from Kamrup (metro) and Kamrup districts.

Ashok Barkotoky, the deputy superintendent of MMCH told The Telegraph that the hospital has procured all necessary equipment and medicines and set up isolation wards for both male and female patients. He said the isolation wards would be equipped with ventilation facility to treat very critical cases.
?We have circulated instructions on treatment and management of the infection to our staff in case they receive a patient showing symptoms of avian influenza. The symptoms of avian influenza, caused by H5N1 virus, are sore throat, cough, fever, pneumonia, respiratory distress, respiratory failure and other life-threatening complications. The hospital has procured masks and other disposable kits for the use of doctors and para-medical staff while treating any case of avian influenza,? Barkotoky said.
According to Barkotoky, the MMCH has received all necessary medicine including anti-biotic injections and intravenous fluid from the state health department as well as the Centre.
An official of the state health and welfare department said studies reveal that avian influenza spread from birds to humans and not person-to-person. He said even though there has been no human infection so far in Assam, hospitals like the MMCH has to be kept ready in view of the fact that the virus is spreading fast among the poultry population in Kamrup (metro), Kamrup and other Lower Assam districts.
The official said a team of doctors and nurses would be briefed on the bird flu isolation wards in MMCH from tomorrow. The MMCH authorities said if the situation warrants, the number of beds in the isolation wards can be increased.
On the other hand, the villagers in the bird flu-hit areas of Kamrup district who refused to co-operate with the culling teams will not be paid any compensation.
Kamrup deputy commissioner R.C. Jain said a section of villagers in Hajo area is unwilling to give up their birds for culling.
?During the culling operation at Hajo, it was observed that some of the people hid their poultry. As a result of that we had started combing operation in the area from yesterday,? he said.
An official of the state veterinary department involved in the culling, on condition of anonymity, said during the combing operation, house-to-house search is being conducted in the affected areas.
?During the combing operation, if we find owners hiding poultry then they will not be entitled to the compensation,? the source said.
The government is giving a compensation of Rs 80 for large birds, Rs 40 for medium-sized birds and Rs 20 for chicks.
In Kamrup district, so far 160,000 birds have been culled against the target of two lakh. Prior to yesterday?s combing operation, culling was done for six days.
?Our men are doing their best. It is everyone?s duty to cooperate to stop the deadly virus from spreading. Fortunately there has been no human infection so far,? the veterinary department source added.
Apart from the worst affected Kamrup, the outbreak of avian flu was also confirmed in some areas of Kamrup (metro), Nalbari and Barpeta districts.

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1081208/jsp/guwahati/story_10219868.jsp

[HenryN]

Re: India: Assam, AVIAN INFLUENZA A/H5N1 IN POULTRY (December 2008+)

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=heading style="HEIGHT: 20px" vAlign=top bgColor=#ffeeca height=20>Bird flu alert in Assam: Culling operations going on
</TD></TR><TR><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 4px; PADDING-LEFT: 4px; FONT-SIZE: 12px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 4px; WIDTH: 100%; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; PADDING-TOP: 4px; FONT-FAMILY: verdana; HEIGHT: 75px; TEXT-ALIGN: justify" vAlign=top> Dec 7
In Assam, bird flu is spreading to new areas in an alarming dimension. According to official sources, the disease has so far been reported in six districts of lower Assam. Culling operation is on in the worst-affected districts of Kamrup, Nalbari, Barpeta and Baksa. Our Guwahati correspondent reports that a team of Central veterinary experts is monitoring the culling operation in the avian influenza affected villages. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

http://64.233.169.132/search?q=cache:c-nIdbXPmHoJ:164.100.52.41/news.asp%3Fcat%3DNational%26id%3DNN4443+assam+bird+flu&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=42&gl=us

[HenryN]

Re: India: Assam, AVIAN INFLUENZA A/H5N1 IN POULTRY (December 2008+)

Poultry import from Assam banned<!EpnHeading17End>
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, December 08 2008: IN VIEW of the wild spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (Bird Flu) by H5N1 in Assam, the government of Manipur has banned import of all consignments of eggs, chicks, feed and live birds from Assam into the state.

Chief Secretary of Manipur government, Rakesh today issued an order in this regard.

The step is being taken in order to check further spread of the disease in the state from large numbers of consignments of eggs, chicks, feed and live birds arriving in Imphal daily from Assam which may become the possible source of infection, the order said.

On the other hand, Director of Veterinary and Animal Husbandary Services, Th Dorendra has sent out notice of alert to all the officials concerned in all districts of the state.

In a warning message of alertness and strict vigil on highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the state, the director stated that in view of the present situation of the wild spread of HPAI (Bird Flu) in three districts of Assam viz Kamrup, Nalbari and Barpeta, it has become essential for the people of Manipur to remain on high alert.

Dorendra also alerted all RRT members of every district of the department to remain in full preparedness for control and containment of outbreak of the disease in the state.

He also directed the joint directors and deputy directors of veterinary and husbandry department posted at the nine district headquaters and sub divisional veterinary hospitals at Jiribam, Kangpokpi and Moreh to inform all RRTs constituted on April 12 last year to remain alert for immediate action in the event of any outbreak of the disease in the state.

At the same time, the Veterinary Department, Government of Manipur has also banned all consignments of inter state transport of eggs, chicks, feed and live birds from Assam to Manipur.

Meanwhile, the department has started making arrangments to organise an intensive physical surveillance of poultry birds in organised, backyard and commercial farms to check if there has been any unusual death or sickness of poultry birds.

It may be recalled here that Manipur has experienced the sufferings of bird flu last year during which lakhs of poultry birds�chickens and ducks were culled.

http://e-pao.net/GP.asp?src=17..091208.dec08

[HenryN]

Re: India: Assam, AVIAN INFLUENZA A/H5N1 IN POULTRY (December 2008+)

Commentary at

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/12080803/H5N1_Assam_NW.html

[HenryN]

Re: India: Assam, AVIAN INFLUENZA A/H5N1 IN POULTRY (December 2008+)

Poultry import from Assam banned<!EpnHeading17End>
Source: Hueiyen News Service

It may be recalled here that Manipur has experienced the sufferings of bird flu last year during which lakhs of poultry birds�chickens and ducks were culled.

http://e-pao.net/GP.asp?src=17..091208.dec08

It may be recalled that although there was extensive culling and unnatural deaths in MANY Indian states last season, OIE reports only descibed outbreaks (41) in West Bengal and Tripura.

http://www.oie.int/wahis/reports/en_fup_0000007471_20081104_152919.pdf

[HenryN]

Re: India: Assam, AVIAN INFLUENZA A/H5N1 IN POULTRY (December 2008+)

Alarm bells ring after Bird Flu hits Assam
Pranesh Sarkar
KOLKATA, Dec. 8: The state health department has put all the districts on high alert after receiving confirmation of a Bird Flu outbreak in Assam a few days ago.
On 1 December, a letter was issued to all the chief medical officers of health (CMOHs) in the state by the joint director of public health. Hospitals in the state have been asked to keep tabs on influenza cases. The health department has also asked the district health officials to be prepared to deal with an emergency situation efficiently.
A senior health department official told The Statesman: ?On 1 December, the Centre notified us of a Bird Flu outbreak in our neighbouring state, Assam. On that day itself, we have put all our districts on high alert. Primarily, it was decided that only north Bengal districts would be put on alert. But later, all the districts were cautioned because the H5N1 virus has hit Bangladesh too. Earlier this year, Bird Flu entered the state when cattle traders brought poultry to Birbhum from Bangladesh.?
Another official said: ?We have started checking our stock of protective gears, medicines for rapid response teams. All the districts have been asked to send a list of requirements as early as possible. Last time when Bird Flu surfaced in the state, the Centre had allotted us protective gears and medicines. Some of these are still with us and we have already started receiving new stocks. These would be sent to the districts as per their requirement.? The animal resources development department (ARD) has also decided to increase surveillance on poultry. This time stress has been laid on bordering districts so that no infected bird is brought into the state from Bangladesh.
?We are keeping a close watch on the bordering districts so that no poultry bird could reach the state with the cattle traders. The Centre has also asked the Border Security Force to keep a sharp watch on the cattle traders. They should be prevented from taking any kind of poultry into the state from Bangladesh,? said a senior ARD official.

http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=10&theme=&usrsess=1&id=234984

[HenryN]

Re: India: Assam, AVIAN INFLUENZA A/H5N1 IN POULTRY (December 2008+)

Import of poultry restricted in Meghalaya

Shillong (PTI): Following the outbreak of bird flu in neighbouring Assam, Meghalaya government has issued an order restricting the import of poultry products from Assam, West Bengal and the international border to the state's Garo hills region with immediate effect.
The order has been issued as a precautionary measure to prevent any outbreak of the disease that causes large-scale deaths of poultry and other birds, official sources said.
Stray cases of bird flu have recently been detected in Assam's Kamrup district, West Bengal and in several districts of Bangladesh which shares a vast border with West Garo Hills district. Consumers in Garo Hills depend heavily on the import of poultry products such as chicken and eggs from outside the state. This being the peak festive season, the demand is all the more high.

http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/h...0812091421.htm<!-- story ends -->

[HenryN]

Re: India: Assam, AVIAN INFLUENZA A/H5N1 IN POULTRY (December 2008+)

Import of poultry products banned to prevent bird flu spread</B>

The Imphal Free Press

IMPHAL, Dec 8: The state government has reimposed a ban on import of poultry products including eggs, chicks, feed and live birds arriving in Imphal daily from Assam from today as a part of precautionary measures to prevent spreading of the highly pathogenic Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) from the three affected districts of neighbouring Assam.
An official order banning poultry products from neighbouring Assam was issued today by the director of veterinary and animal husbandry service, government of Manipur today. The order mentioned that in view of the spread of Avian Influenza in three districts of Assam, including Kamrup, Nalbari and Barpeta districts recently, there is need for keeping on alert all RRT members of every district for control and containment of any outbreak of the disease in the state.
Besides, the order has directed all RRTs under the state government to remain prepared for immediate action in case of any outbreak of the disease in the state.
On the other hand, the recent order of the director of veterinary has further directed all in-charge of the veterinary institutions of the department to keep on alert all staff in the state. An intensive physical surveillance of poultry birds in organised, backyard and commercial farms is to be taken up for detection of any unusual morbidity and mortality.
Further, all deputy directors of veterinary, sub-divisional veterinary hospitals have also been informed to comply with the government ban order at the check posts on National Highway-39 and 53 for all consignments of inter state transportation of eggs, chicks, feed and live birds arriving in Imphal daily from Assam from tomorrow onwards.
In the meantime, in connection with this the state chief secretary has also issued an official order banning consignments of eggs, chicks, feed and live birds from neigbouring Assam state to the state from today, considering the possibility of Bird Flu infection spreading in the state from Assam.

http://www.kanglaonline.com/index.php?template=headline&newsid=44297&typeid=1&Idoc_Session=f7b8d75402fa5c7c4dd52393ddeb8c04