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

[AlaskaDenise]

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

Commentary at

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/11...Confirmed.html

Commentary

H5N1 Confirmed in Assam India
Recombinomics Commentary 20:52
November 27, 2008

Official circles here said that the Bhopal-based High Security Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (HSADL) confirmed this evening the outbreak of the disease among the domesticated fowls of Thakuria Chuba of Rajabazar village under Hajo Revenue Circles of Kamrup district.

reports of unusual death of fowls have also been received from parts of Sarpara village of Palasbari in the same district.

The Directorate of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry here received reports of unusual death of domesticated birds from Thakuria Chuba, a locality inhabited by 25 families, on November 21. In the locality 87 fowls were reported dead on November 21. Of the birds, 62 were adult ones.

The next day, 66 birds were reported dead (48 adults), followed by 92 (56 adults) on November 23, 20 (12 adults) on November 24, 27 (19 adults) on November 25 and 32 (17 adults) on November 26. It is believed that at present there are around 100 fowls left in the locality, said the sources.

The above comments confirm H5N1 in the deaths of 297 birds near Hajo in the Kamrup district of Assam. Suspect H5N1 is also reported near Palasbari (see satellite map).

Assam has not confirmed H5N1 previously, although adjacent West Bengal and Bangladesh reported major outbreaks at the beginning of this year, when unusual poultry deaths were also reported in Assam. Recently Bangladesh reported confirmed H5N1 in Naogon, about 135 miles southwest of the outbreak in Hajo (see satellite map).

The death of 3/4 of the poultry near Hajo suggests additional outbreaks will be reported.


.

[HenryN]

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

Centre?s aid sought to check H5N1 spread
Pranesh Sarkar
KOLKATA, Nov. 27: The state government sought the Centre's assistance to prevent the spread of the H5N1 virus in the state.
In the wake of a Bird Flu outbreak in the neighbouring Bangladesh, the state blamed its failure in carrying out surveillance of poultry in the Darjeeling Hill on the agitation of the Gorkha Jana Mukti Morcha. The state ARD officials could not carry out surveillance in Darjeeling due to the ongoing impasse.
Recently, the department of animal husbandry and dairying has asked the state to maintain strong surveillance on poultry in all districts following a Bird Flu outbreak in Bangladesh. But, a few senior officials of state animal resources development department said though all possible steps have been initiated in all districts, no such step could be initiated in Darjeeling.
Mr Anisur Rahman, state ARD minister, admitted that they were finding it difficult to carry out surveillance of poultry as directed by the Centre.
?We have informed the Centre about the situation. We have sought their assistance to maintain surveillance as our officials are facing trouble to carry out the programme which is needed to nip the H5N1 virus in the bud,? the minister said.
It may be recalled that the state suffered hugely after it failed to check the spread of the H5N1 virus in January last year.
The Centre has issued a caution notice after news of Bird Flu hitting Bangladesh spread. Last time also, it was found that the virus had entered the state through Bangladesh. As the state failed to react on time to the threat, the virus had spread to as many as 16 districts. The Centre had also held the lackadaisical attitude of the state responsible for the rapid spread of the virus.
?Though the Centre said that initial steps to control the virus were delayed, the entire containment process was carried out very efficiently especially if it is considered that the outbreak took place in backyard poultry. However, we are leaving no stone unturned this year. We have also asked the Centre to inform us if any Bird Flu case is confirmed in the earliest so that we can initiate proper steps to nip the problem in the bud,? the minister added.

http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=23&theme=&usrsess=1&id=233210

[HenryN]

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

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=articleheader>Test confirms Hajo bird flu
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=articleauthor>A STAFF REPORTER</TD></TR><TR><TD class=story align=left>

Guwahati, Nov. 27: The Kamrup district administration tonight ordered culling of poultry in Rajapara village near Hajo after tests for bird flu proved positive.
Deputy commissioner R.C. Jain said he was informed of the test results this evening and accordingly sent out orders to cull the birds.
?We have been ready since yesterday. But now the culling will start tomorrow,? Jain said.
The administration had sent samples of the dead birds to the High Security Laboratory in Bhopal on Monday after 324 poultry died last week.
Jain said Thakuriapara in Rajapara under Hajo police station had 59 families, of which 24 rear poultry in their backyard on a commercial scale.
The deputy commissioner said 20 teams had been formed to carry out the culling operations and all the associated paraphernalia were in place.
The movement of birds had earlier been restricted to a radius of 5km of Thaku- riapara to prevent the disease from spreading, though till this evening veterinarians only suspected it to be bird flu.
Asenior veterinary official from Delhi, A.B. Negi, arrived in Hajo yesterday for observation and supervision of the operations if the need arose.
Jain said nearly 30,000 birds would be culled. ?The entire operation is likely to take about three days,? he said.
For each small chicken culled, a cash compensation of Rs 20 would be paid to the owner, while Rs 50 is the rate for bigger birds.
For ducks, the compensation ranges from Rs 75 to Rs 160 depending on their size and breed.
Each egg that is destroyed, on the other hand, will fetch Rs 2 as compensation.
?We will pay the compensation on the spot,? Jain said.
The official said there was no need to ban the sale of poultry elsewhere in the state because of bird flu in one village.
Hajo, which is about 40km from here, meets a significant size of Guwahati?s poultry requirement.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/108112...y_10175439.jsp

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

[Gert van der Hoek]

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

The Avian Flu seems to spread.


Officials report outbreak of bird flu in northeast

Fri Nov 28, 2008

GUWAHATI, India (Reuters) - Authorities in Assam have ordered culling thousands of chicken and ducks after a fresh outbreak of bird flu in poultry was detected late on Thursday, a senior official said.

"We were informed that the samples sent to laboratories in Bhopal and Pune have been tested positive. So we have ordered for culling in the area, which will start today," R. C. Jain, a senior state government official said on Friday.

"It is H5N1 stain," he said in Guwahati, the region's biggest city.

More than 30,000 chickens and ducks would be slaughtered in next three days in 20 villages, after one of them was hit by bird flu, officials said.

Authorities started to worry about a new outbreak after hundreds of poultry died in Rajabazar village, just 35 km west of Guwahati.

India has not reported any human infections so far, though the first outbreak in poultry was reported in 2006 in the western state of Maharashtra.

Experts fear the H5N1 strain could mutate into a form easily transmitted from person to person, leading to a pandemic.

http://in.reuters.com/article/topNews/idINIndia-36753120081128

[Shiloh]

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

Source: http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/...100124847.html

?About 30,000 poultry to be culled in Assam?
November 28th, 2008 - 6:53 pm ICT by IANS -

Guwahati, Nov 28 (IANS) About 30,000 chickens and ducks will be culled in Assam during the next four days as an outbreak of bird flu in poultry
has been reported in the state, an official said.?The entire culling process is expected to be completed in three to four days as our teams are visiting each and every household in the area. We estimate there could be some 30,000 poultry birds in the area where culling is currently underway,? said Manoranjan Choudhury, deputy director of the Assam veterinary department.

The Indian health ministry Thursday confirmed outbreak of bird flu after laboratory tests confirmed strains of the deadly H5N1 avian influenza. Sale and purchase of poultry has been banned in the state.

Choudhury said about 30,000 chickens and ducks would be slaughtered in about 40 villages of Thakurichuba village, about 40 km west of Guwahati. The veterinary personnel involved in the culling process were being administered the antiviral drug Tamiflu as a precautionary measure.

?The process of culling has already started involving about 20 Rapid Response Teams with seven members in each group led by a veterinarian,? he said.

More than 300 birds died in the past one week in the state. Assam?s veterinary and animal husbandry department sounded an alert and is maintaining a strict surveillance on farms in the state.

[Shiloh]

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

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/I...ow/3769945.cms

Bird flu: Meghalaya sounds alert
28 Nov 2008, 1714 hrs IST,

SHILLONG: With authorities in neighbouring Assam ordering culling of poultry after suspected cases of bird flu in its Kamrup district, Meghalaya
on Friday sounded an alert to prevent outbreak of the disease in the state.

State's veterinary officials had a meeting to assess the preparedness and adopt measures to prevent the disease from spreading to the state.

A veterinary official said deputy commissioners of all districts have been asked to be on alert, even as he said there were no cases of suspected bird flu in the state so far.

He also ruled out culling of poultry as of now. Culling of poultry began on Friday in Kamrup district of Assam that shares border with Meghalaya's Ri Bhoi and West Khasi Hills districts.

Meghalaya already has in place 150 rapid response teams along with 2,170 personnel with protective equipment that was procured last year after the outbreak of bird flu in West Bengal.

[Shiloh]

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

Source: http://www.topnews.in/fresh-bird-flu...k-assam-293712

Fresh Bird Flu Outbreak In Assam
Submitted by Piyush Diwan on Fri, 11/28/2008 - 09:23.

According to the health authorities, a fresh outbreak of bird flu was discovered in Hajo block of Kamrup district in Assam. Since last Saturday, over 200 birds have died in the area.

The state authorities have ordered culling thousands of chicken and ducks.

R. C. Jain, a senior state government official said, ?We were informed that the samples sent to laboratories in Bhopal and Pune have been tested positive. So we have ordered for culling in the area, which will start today.?

"It is H5N1 stain," added the official.

Earlier on Wednesday, the health authorities had imposed a ban on sale of poultry and have sounded a general alert in about 40 villages in a radius of five kilometers from the area where the deaths were reported.

Biswa Das, a resident of an affected area said that a large number of birds were falling sick. "We saw normal birds dying almost instantly without any symptoms. Now we find some of the poultry in the area a little sick," said Das.

While the state government is claiming that 100 birds had died in the block area, unconfirmed reports put the number at 200.

The last outbreak of bird flu in the country was reported in Darjeeling in West Bengal in May.

[Gert van der Hoek]

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

OIE-report:

http://www.oie.int/wahis/public.php?page=single_report&pop=1&reportid=7567

Location: Hajo, Rajabazar, Kamrup, ASSAM

[HenryN]

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

http://www.oie.int/wahis/reports/en_imm_0000007566_20081128_154658.pdf

Immediate notification report

Report reference: , Ref OIE: 7566, Report Date: 28/11/2008 , Country: India

Report Summary

Disease

Highly pathogenic avian influenza Animal type Terrestrial

Causal Agent

Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus Serotype(s) H5N1

Clinical Signs

Yes Reason Reoccurrence of a listed disease

Date of first confirmation of the event

27/11/2008 Date of Start of Event 21/11/2008

Date of report

28/11/2008 Date Submitted To OIE 28/11/2008

Diagnosis

Laboratory (basic), Laboratory (advanced) Date Of Last Occurrence 11/2008

Number Of Reported Outbreaks

Submitted= 1, Draft= 0 Name of Sender of the report Dr Natarajan Gokulram

Address

Dr Rajendra Prasad Road
Room No 231, Krishi Bhawan
New Delhi 110001
New Delhi 110001

Position

Secretary to the Government of India

Telephone

(91-11) 23 38 26 08

Fax

(91-11) 23 38 80 06

Email

secyahd@nic.in

Entered by

Dr Natarajan Gokulram

Outbreak (this report - submitted)

State District Village/Block Unit Type Location Latitude Longitude Start date End Date

ASSAM Kamrup Rajabazar Village Hajo 26,2 91,15 21/11/2008

Species Measuring units Susceptible Cases Deaths Destroyed Slaughtered

Birds Animals 391 324 324 ... ...

Affected Population

backyard poultry mainly in a small village

Outbreak summary: Total outbreaks = 1 (Submitted)

Species Susceptible Cases Deaths Destroyed Slaughtered

Birds 391 324 324

Epidemiology

Epidemiological comments

Epidemiological investigation is ongoing. Stamping out of all domestic poultry is being applied in an approximately 5-km-radius zone around the outbreaks followed by compensation of the owners.
An intensive surveillance campaign has been launched in a 10-km-radius zone including:
- closure of poultry markets and prohibition on sale and transportation of poultry products in the infected zone;
- disinfection of premises after culling and sealing of premises where appropriate.
Printed on: Fri Nov 28 15:46:59 Paris, Madrid 2008 Page 1/3
Restocking will be applied in accordance with a specific protocol.

Source of the outbreak(s) or origin of infection

? Unknown or inconclusive

Control Measures

? Stamping out

Applied

? Quarantine
? Movement control inside the country
? Screening

To be applied

? Disinfection of infected premises/establishment(s)
? Dipping / Spraying

Animals treated

No

Vaccination Prohibited

No

Country / Zone

Country or zone

a zone or compartment

Diagnostic test results

Laboratory Type Name of Laboratory Species Test Type Date Results Provided Result

National laboratory High Security Animal Disease Laboratory, Bhopal Birds virus isolation 27/11/2008 Positive
National laboratory High Security Animal Disease Laboratory, Bhopal Birds reverse transcription - polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) 27/11/2008 Positive
National laboratory High Security Animal Disease Laboratory, Bhopal Birds real-time PCR 27/11/2008 Positive

Future Reporting

What further reports will be submitted in relation to this event?

There are 1outbreaks that are still recorded as unresolved. It is not possible to declare this event resolved until these individual outbreaks are resolved.
The event is continuing. Weekly follow-up reports will be submitted.
Immediate notification report. Report reference: , Ref OIE: 7566, Report Date: 28/11/2008 , Country: India

Printed on: Fri Nov 28 15:46:59 Paris, Madrid 2008 Page 2/3

[HenryN]

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

AVIAN INFLUENZA (112): INDIA (ASSAM), SUSPECTED, ALERT, REQUEST FOR
INFORMATION
************************************************** *****************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>

Date: Thu 27 Nov 2008
Source: The Hindu, Indo-Asian News Service (IANS) report [edited]
<http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/099200811271431.htm>


Bird flu scare in Assam, 300 poultry dead
-----------------------------------------
More than 300 poultry birds have died in the past 5 days in some
villages in Assam, fuelling fears of bird flu, officials said [in
Guwahati] Wednesday [26 Nov 2008], adding that a general alert was
sounded in the area.

A veterinary department official said up to 300 chicken and ducks
died an unnatural death in some villages around Hajo, about 35 km (22
mi) west of Assam's main city of Guwahati.

"We have sent samples for laboratory tests to Pune and Bangalore for
confirmation. We don't know for sure if the poultry deaths were due
to bird flu," a veterinary department official said requesting not to
be named.

Authorities Wednesday [26 Nov 2008] imposed a ban on sale of poultry
and have sounded a general alert in about 40 villages in a radius of
5 km (3.1 mi) from the area where the deaths were reported.

"By Thursday [27 Nov 2008] we shall be getting the laboratory test
reports and maybe we have to start the culling process as there has
been large-scale reports of deaths coming in from nearby areas,"
Kamrup district magistrate RC Jain said.

"We have imposed a ban on sale and purchase of poultry and have asked
people in the area not to consume chicken or duck as a precautionary
measure."

A general health alert was also sounded in the area. Teams of experts
are now camping in the area and were contemplating culling birds as a
precautionary measure.

Residents of the area said a large number of birds were falling sick.
"We saw normal birds dying almost instantly without any symptoms. Now
we find some of the poultry in the area a little sick," said Biswa
Das, a villager.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall

[For the location of Assam in northeast India, see the map at
<http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_asia/india_pol01.jpg>
and the HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map at
<http://healthmap.org/promed/en?g=1278253&v=26,93,5>.

For a summary of the recent H5N1 outbreak in India (West Bengal and
Tripura), which reportedly started on 4 Jan 2008 and was declared as
resolved on 4 Nov 2008 (no new cases since 11 May 2008), see
<http://www.oie.int/wahis/public.php?page=event_summary&reportid=6678>.

Confirmation of avian influenza or otherwise in Assam is requested. - Mod.AS]

[see also:
Avian influenza, human (60): India (West Bengal), susp. 20080803.2379
Avian influenza (69): S Korea, India (W Bengal) 20080515.1626
Avian influenza (68): Japan, S.Korea, Viet Nam, India 20080511.1605
Avian influenza (64): India (Tripura) 20080423.1434
Avian influenza (59): India (Tripura), South Korea (N Jeolla) 20080408.1295
Avian influenza (48): China, Bangladesh, India, Viet Nam 20080317.1042
Avian influenza (46): India, Viet Nam, Bangladesh 20080314.1013
Avian influenza (42): India (West Bengal) 20080309.0967
Avian influenza (35): UK (England), Indonesia, India, Bangladesh 20080215.0600
Avian influenza, poultry vs migratory birds (02): Turkey, India 20080205.0462
Avian influenza (17): Iran (Mazandaran), India (West Bengal) - OIE
20080119.0235
Avian influenza (14): India (West Bengal) 20080117.0216
Avian influenza (11): India (West Bengal) 20080115.0193
2007
----
Avian influenza (133): India (Manipur): conf., OIE 20070726.2409
Avian influenza (58): Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia 20070322.1008]
........................................arn/mj/jw

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/otn/f?p=2400:1001:1043909550324748::NO::F2400_P1001_BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,74936

[HenryN]

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

Culling operations on in Hajo
</B>Staff reporter
GUWAHATI, Nov 28 ? Culling of poultry in Hajo Revenue Circle areas in the wake of bird flu outbreak at Thakuria Chuba of Rajabazar Village, began this noon with the State Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Department deploying 20 Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) to ten villages of the Revenue Circle. Disclosing this, official sources here told The Assam Tribune that altogether 100 persons were involved in the culling operations. Each of the 20 RRTs has been accompanied also by one surveyor (Mandal) of the Kamrup District Administration. The operations will cover 23 villages within an area of 3km radius, said the sources.

Initially, culling operations were proposed to cover an area of 5 km radius around Thakuria Chuba. But the State Government has asked the Veterinary Department to carry out the operations in an area of 3 km radius around the locality, the sources said.

The poultry population being covered under the culling operations include backyard fowls, ducks and geese. A control room has also been set up at the Hajo Suren Das College.

Commenting on the response of the villagers to the culling operations, sources said that initially there was resistance from the people to the culling of their fowls, ducks and geese. However, that resistance could be overcome with long and persistent persuasion, said the sources.

About 9000 backyard birds were killed in ten Hajo villages today and the culling operations are expected to continue for another 4-5 days in the area, said the sources.

Meanwhile, the Veterinary Department has collected more poultry samples from Saralpara village of Palasbari, from where a similar phenomenon of unusual death of backyard poultry has been reported. These samples will be sent to the Bhopal-based High Security Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (HSADL) tomorrow, said the sources.

Poultry samples from the village were sent to the Pune-based National Institute of Virology yesterday for testing and confirmation of the presence of bird flu virus in the diseased poultry population of the village, said the sources.

http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=nov2908/at05

[HenryN]

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

Bird Flu Back: About 30,000 Poultry to be Culled in Assam

</SPAN>
(IANS)

29 November 2008
<TABLE cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle width=328> </TD><TD class=blk9n align=right width=27>Print</TD><TD align=middle width=35></TD><TD class=blk9n align=right width=46>E-mail</TD><TD align=middle width=24></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
GUWAHATI ? About 30,000 chickens and ducks will be culled in Assam during the next four days as an outbreak of bird flu in poultry has been reported in the state, an official said.

?The entire culling process is expected to be completed in three to four days as our teams are visiting each and every household in the area. We estimate there could be some 30,000 poultry birds in the area where culling is currently underway,? said Manoranjan Choudhury, deputy director of the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:country-region><st1:place>Assam</st1:place></st1:country-region> veterinary department.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
The Indian health ministry on Thursday confirmed outbreak of bird flu after laboratory tests confirmed strains of the deadly H5N1 avian influenza. <st1:City><st1:place>Sale</st1:place></st1:City> and purchase of poultry has been banned in the state.<o:p></o:p>
Choudhury said about 30,000 chickens and ducks would be slaughtered in about 40 villages of Thakurichuba village, about 40 km west of Guwahati. The veterinary personnel were being administered the antiviral drug Tamiflu as a precautionary measure.


http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayA...ernational&col=<o:p></o:p>

[Diane Morin]

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

<TABLE class=formlayout id=apex_layout_271110100662109808 summary=""><TBODY><TR><TD noWrap align=right>Archive Number</TD><TD noWrap align=left>20081128.3749</TD></TR><TR><TD noWrap align=right>Published Date</TD><TD noWrap align=left>28-NOV-2008</TD></TR><TR><TD noWrap align=right>Subject</TD><TD noWrap align=left>PRO/AH/EDR> Avian influenza (113): India (AS), HPAI conf.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

AVIAN INFLUENZA (113): INDIA (ASSAM), HPAI CONFIRMED***************************************** ***********A ProMED-mail post<http://www.promedmail.org>ProMED-mail is a program of theInternational Society for Infectious Diseases<http://www.isid.org>Date: Fri 28 Nov 2008Source: The Telegraph, Calcutta [edited]<http://www.telegraphindia.com/1081128/jsp/northeast/story_10175439.jsp#>The Kamrup district administration tonight [27 Nov 2008] orderedculling of poultry in Rajapara village near Hajo [district of Assam]after tests for bird flu proved positive.Deputy commissioner RC Jain said he was informed of the test resultsthis evening [27 Nov 2008] and accordingly sent out orders to cullthe birds. "We have been ready since yesterday [26 Nov 2008]. But nowthe culling will start tomorrow," Jain said.The administration had sent samples of the dead birds to the HighSecurity Laboratory in Bhopal on Monday [24 Nov 2008] after 324poultry died last week [week of 17 Nov 2008].Jain said Thakuriapara in Rajapara under Hajo police station had 59families, of which 24 rear poultry in their backyard on a commercialscale.The deputy commissioner said 20 teams had been formed to carry outthe culling operations and all the associated paraphernalia were inplace.The movement of birds had earlier been restricted to a radius of 5 km(3.1 mi) of Thakuriapara to prevent the disease from spreading,though till this evening veterinarians only suspected it to be birdflu.A senior veterinary official from Delhi, AB Negi, arrived in Hajoyesterday [26 Nov 2008] for observation and supervision of theoperations if the need arose.Jain said nearly 30 000 birds would be culled. "The entire operationis likely to take about 3 days," he said.For each small chicken culled, a cash compensation of [INR] 20 [USD0.40) would be paid to the owner, while INR 50 [USD 1.00] is the ratefor bigger birds. For ducks, the compensation ranges from INR 75 toINR 160 [USD 1.50 to 3.60] depending on their size and breed. Eachegg that is destroyed, on the other hand, will fetch INR 2 [USD 0.04]as compensation. "We will pay the compensation on the spot," Jainsaid.The official said there was no need to ban the sale of poultryelsewhere in the state because of bird flu in one village.Hajo, which is about 40 km (25 mi) from [Guwahati, Assam state capital], provides a significant part of Guwahati's poultry requirements.--Communicated by:ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall[An additional newswire, with data of the daily mortalities observed in each of the affected holdings, is available at <http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=nov2808/at06>.An official OIE notification on this renewed epizootic in India has been submitted to the OIE on Fri, 28 Nov 2008, including laboratory confirmation of H5N1 and a map; see at<http://www.oie.int/wahis/public.php?page=single_report&pop=1&reportid=7566>.- Mod.AS][India declared to the OIE on 31 Oct 2008 that it was free of bird flu, having resolved its last 2 outbreaks on 11 Apr 2008 -- see:<http://www.oie.int/wahis/public.php?page=event_summary&reportid=6678>India's reports to the OIE do not show any outbreak in West Bengal in July 2008, as reported in the press -- see ProMED archive 20080803.2379 below. - Mod.JW][see also:Avian influenza (112): India (AS), susp., alert, RFI 20081127.3740Avian influenza, human (60): India (West Bengal), susp. 20080803.2379Avian influenza (69): S Korea, India (W Bengal) 20080515.1626Avian influenza (68): Japan, S.Korea, Viet Nam, India 20080511.1605Avian influenza (64): India (Tripura) 20080423.1434Avian influenza (59): India (Tripura), South Korea (N Jeolla) 20080408.1295Avian influenza (48): China, Bangladesh, India, Viet Nam 20080317.1042Avian influenza (46): India, Viet Nam, Bangladesh 20080314.1013Avian influenza (42): India (West Bengal) 20080309.0967Avian influenza (35): UK (England), Indonesia, India, Bangladesh 20080215.0600Avian influenza, poultry vs migratory birds (02): Turkey, India 20080205.0462Avian influenza (17): Iran (Mazandaran), India (West Bengal) - OIE20080119.0235Avian influenza (14): India (West Bengal) 20080117.0216Avian influenza (11): India (West Bengal) 20080115.01932007----Avian influenza (133): India (Manipur): conf., OIE 20070726.2409Avian influenza (58): Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia 20070322.1008]........................................arn/mj/jw*############################################### ###########*************************************** **********************ProMED-mail makes every effort to verify the reports thatare posted, but the accuracy and completeness of theinformation, and of any statements or opinions basedthereon, are not guaranteed. The reader assumes all risks inusing information posted or archived by ProMED-mail. ISIDand its associated service providers shall not be heldresponsible for errors or omissions or held liable for anydamages incurred as a result of use or reliance upon postedor archived material.***************************************** *******************Become a ProMED-mail Premium Subscriber at<http://www.isid.org/ProMEDMail_Premium.shtml>************************************************* ***********Visit ProMED-mail's web site at <http://www.promedmail.org>.Send all items for posting to: promed@promedmail.org(NOT to an individual moderator). If you do not give yourfull name and affiliation, it may not be posted. Sendcommands to subscribe/unsubscribe, get archives, help,etc. to: majordomo@promedmail.org. For assistance from ahuman being send mail to: owner-promed@promedmail.org.################################################## ################################################## ####################</PRE>
http://www.promedmail.org/pls/otn/f?..._ID:1000,74947</PRE>

[Shiloh]

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

SOurce: http://www.telegraphindia.com/108112...y_10178879.jsp

Culler?s knife cuts feast hopes to pieces
- Hajo villagers loath to let go of ducks and chicken being fattened for Magh Bihu
ANUPAM BORDOLOI

Rajabazar/Bakta (Hajo), Nov. 28: It is that time of year when ducks feed on fresh off-the-fields husk and gather fat around their supple flesh. Sarita Devi, angry because her duck was just starting to get fat, had been feeding it generously so that it grows ripe and ready for the Magh Bihu feast just one-an-half-months away.

?You have killed my duck. You have also killed our Bihu,? the 46-year-old wife of a farmer shouted at the rapid response team of the veterinary department as they left her courtyard, the dead duck hanging by the neck from one their hands.

As the rapid response teams spread out to the villages in Hajo to start culling of poultry to prevent the spread of bird flu to more areas, distraught people were asking only one question, ?Why??

The culling began around 11.30 this morning at Rajabazar, a minority-dominated village in Kamrup district with around 200 families. The veterinary department has identified this village as the epicentre of the bird flu outbreak and is targeting to cull around 30,000 poultry in a 5km radius of the village. The culling may take at least one week.

For people like Sarita Devi, however, their chicken and ducks looked fine. ?Nobody here has poultry farms. But most people have their own backyard poultry farms with a couple of chicken or duck. There has been no death of poultry here,? said Aminul Haque of Rajabari whose two chicken were culled.

Sarita Devi said her family of six ? husband, three daughters and a son ? had planned to feast on the duck for the Magh Bihu feast. ?We are poor people. Our poultry serves us during times of need. If someone falls ill, we sell one or two of them and use the money for treatment,? she said.

There were others like Ananta Kalita who, however, could understand the need of the hour. A local student leader, Kalita said he has been trying to help the veterinary department by explaining to the people why culling was necessary. ?But these are very poor people and even one hen is like wealth to them,? he said.

The government pays Rs 50 for each full-grown poultry and Rs 20 for a chick.

Manoranjan Chaudhury, the deputy director of the veterinary department who was supervising the culling operations, said: ?We will continue culling at night as most people let out their poultry in the morning. Our teams will stay overnight in the villages to carry out the task.?

While ducks do not fall prey to bird flu, they act as carriers of the deadly H5N1 virus which spreads rapidly once it enters a chicken?s body. Chaudhury said the virus ?has most probably travelled through migratory birds. There are several water bodies in the area and they serve as nesting places of the migratory birds. The local poultry must have come with contact with the migratory birds here,? he said.

The Bhopal-based High Security Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory confirmed the presence of the H5N1 virus in the poultry of the area after testing samples sent by the veterinary department, which was alerted after large number of poultry died over the past one week.

Chaudhury said late tonight that around 1,000 poultry were culled today by 20 rapid response teams. ?We are still collating the figures so the number could vary slightly. We covered 10 villages today.? He added that the speed would pick up from tomorrow when more teams would be pressed into service.
Top

[HenryN]

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

<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=articleheader>Culler?s knife cuts feast hopes to pieces
- Hajo villagers loath to let go of ducks and chicken being fattened for Magh Bihu

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=articleauthor>ANUPAM BORDOLOI</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>Members of the rapid response team cull ducks at Bakta village in Hajo on Friday. Picture by Eastern Projections </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Rajabazar/Bakta (Hajo), Nov. 28: It is that time of year when ducks feed on fresh off-the-fields husk and gather fat around their supple flesh. Sarita Devi, angry because her duck was just starting to get fat, had been feeding it generously so that it grows ripe and ready for the Magh Bihu feast just one-an-half-months away.

?You have killed my duck. You have also killed our Bihu,? the 46-year-old wife of a farmer shouted at the rapid response team of the veterinary department as they left her courtyard, the dead duck hanging by the neck from one their hands.

As the rapid response teams spread out to the villages in Hajo to start culling of poultry to prevent the spread of bird flu to more areas, distraught people were asking only one question, ?Why??

The culling began around 11.30 this morning at Rajabazar, a minority-dominated village in Kamrup district with around 200 families. The veterinary department has identified this village as the epicentre of the bird flu outbreak and is targeting to cull around 30,000 poultry in a 5km radius of the village. The culling may take at least one week.

For people like Sarita Devi, however, their chicken and ducks looked fine. ?Nobody here has poultry farms. But most people have their own backyard poultry farms with a couple of chicken or duck. There has been no death of poultry here,? said Aminul Haque of Rajabari whose two chicken were culled.

Sarita Devi said her family of six ? husband, three daughters and a son ? had planned to feast on the duck for the Magh Bihu feast. ?We are poor people. Our poultry serves us during times of need. If someone falls ill, we sell one or two of them and use the money for treatment,? she said.

There were others like Ananta Kalita who, however, could understand the need of the hour. A local student leader, Kalita said he has been trying to help the veterinary department by explaining to the people why culling was necessary. ?But these are very poor people and even one hen is like wealth to them,? he said.

The government pays Rs 50 for each full-grown poultry and Rs 20 for a chick.

Manoranjan Chaudhury, the deputy director of the veterinary department who was supervising the culling operations, said: ?We will continue culling at night as most people let out their poultry in the morning. Our teams will stay overnight in the villages to carry out the task.?

While ducks do not fall prey to bird flu, they act as carriers of the deadly H5N1 virus which spreads rapidly once it enters a chicken?s body. Chaudhury said the virus ?has most probably travelled through migratory birds. There are several water bodies in the area and they serve as nesting places of the migratory birds. The local poultry must have come with contact with the migratory birds here,? he said.

The Bhopal-based High Security Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory confirmed the presence of the H5N1 virus in the poultry of the area after testing samples sent by the veterinary department, which was alerted after large number of poultry died over the past one week.

Chaudhury said late tonight that around 1,000 poultry were culled today by 20 rapid response teams. ?We are still collating the figures so the number could vary slightly. We covered 10 villages today.? He added that the speed would pick up from tomorrow when more teams would be pressed into service.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/108112...y_10178879.jsp

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