Highly pathogenic avian influenza, India (OIE, September 19 2011): One New H5N1 Poultry Outbreak, West Bengal

[Giuseppe]

[Source: OIE, full page: (LINK). Edited.]

Highly pathogenic avian influenza, India


Information received on 19/09/2011 from Mr Rudhra Gangadharan, Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries , Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Consumer Affairs , New Delhi, India

• Summary
  • Report type Follow-up report No. 1
  • Start date 29/08/2011
  • Date of first confirmation of the event 07/09/2011
  • Report date 19/09/2011
  • Date submitted to OIE 19/09/2011
  • Reason for notification Reoccurrence of a listed disease
  • Date of previous occurrence 04/07/2011
  • Manifestation of disease Clinical disease
  • Causal agent Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus
  • Serotype H5N1
  • Nature of diagnosis Laboratory (basic), Laboratory (advanced)
  • This event pertains to a defined zone within the country
  • Related reports
    • Immediate notification (08/09/2011)
    • Follow-up report No. 1 (19/09/2011)
• New outbreaks
  • Outbreak 1 - Tehatta-1, Betai Nanshatola, Putimari Christianpara, Nadia, WEST BENGAL
    • Date of start of the outbreak 14/09/2011
    • Outbreak status Continuing (or date resolved not provided)
    • Epidemiological unit Village
    • Affected animals: Species ? Susceptible ? Cases ? Deaths ? Destroyed ? Slaughtered
      • Birds ? 65401 ? 2285 ? 849 ? ? ? ?
      • Affected Population Rural backyard poultry.
• Summary of outbreaks
  • Total outbreaks: 1
  • Outbreak statistics: Species - Apparent morbidity rate - Apparent mortality rate - Apparent case fatality rate - Proportion susceptible animals lost*
    • Birds - 3.49% - 1.30% - 37.16% ? **
    • * Removed from the susceptible population through death, destruction and/or slaughter
    • ** Not calculated because of missing information
• Epidemiology
  • Source of the outbreak(s) or origin of infection
    • Unknown or inconclusive
• Epidemiological comments
  • Epidemiological investigation is ongoing.
  • Stamping out of all domestic poultry is being applied in an approximately 3-km-radius zone around the outbreak followed by compensation to 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.
  • Restocking will be applied in accordance with a specified protocol.
• Control measures
  • Measures applied
    • Stamping out
    • Quarantine
    • Movement control inside the country
    • Screening
    • No vaccination
    • No treatment of affected animals
  • Measures to be applied
    • Disinfection of infected premises/establishment(s)
    • Dipping / Spraying
• Diagnostic test results
  • Laboratory name and type High Security Animal Disease Laboratory, Bhopal (National laboratory)
    • Tests and results: Species ? Test - Test date ? Result
      • Birds - neuraminidase inhibition assay - 18/09/2011 ? Positive
      • Birds - real-time PCR - 18/09/2011 ? Positive
      • Birds - reverse transcription - polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) - 18/09/2011 ? Positive
      • Birds - virus isolation - 18/09/2011 ? Positive
• Future Reporting
  • The event is continuing. Weekly follow-up reports will be submitted.

(?)
-
--------

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Bird flu returns in West Bengal

Link to OIE-report

India confirms bird flu in West Bengal

New Delhi, Sep 20 (IANS)

India Tuesday confirmed that there were cases of bird flu in West Bengal after samples collected from Nadia district in the state tested positive, officials said here.

The government also ordered culling operations in the affected area, said a statement issued from the department of animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries under the ministry of agriculture.

"Bird flu has been confirmed in poultry samples collected from two villages of Tehatta I block in Nadia District of West Bengal," the statement said.

The samples forwarded to the Eastern Region Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (ERDDL) in Kolkata and High Security Animal Disease Laboratory (HSADL) in Bhopal tested positive for H5 strain of Avian Influenza, it said.

"It has been decided to immediately commence the culling of birds and destruction of eggs and feed material to control further spread of the disease. The virus has been contained in the affected area," it added.

Culling has been announced within a radius of three kilometres of the infected area. In addition, surveillance has been ordered in surrounding areas up to 10 km.
Surveillance has also been intensified throughout the state to monitor further spread of infection.

The central government has advised the state to ban movement of poultry and poultry products in the infected area and to close poultry and egg markets and shops within a radius of 10 km from the infected site.

They have suggested a ban on the movement of farm personnel, restricting access to wild and stray birds and stopping access to infected premises. As regards compensation for loss of poultry on account of culling and destruction of birds, the central government will share costs on a 50:50 basis with the state, the statement said.
"The payment of compensation should be ensured immediately and simultaneously to culling," it said.

The last outbreak took place during February-March in Tripura. The country was declared free from the disease on July 4.

Deccan Herald

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Highly pathogenic avian influenza, India (OIE, September 19 2011): One New H5N1 Poultry Outbreak, West Bengal

Bird Flu Confirmed in Poultry Samples of Tehatta 1 Block in Nadia District

Culling Operations Ordered
Virus Contained Within Poultry Farms of Affected Area
Bird flu has been confirmed in poultry samples collected from two villages of Tehatta I block in Nadia District of West Bengal.

Samples forwarded to the ERDDL, Kolkata and High Security Animal Disease Laboratory (HSADL), Bhopal have tested positive for H5 strain of Avian Influenza.

It has been decided to immediately commence the culling of birds and destruction of eggs and feed material to control further spread of the disease.

It has also been decided that the entire poultry will be culled within a radius of 3 kms. of the foci of infection. In addition to the culling strategy, surveillance will be carried out over a further radius up to 10 kilometres.

Apart from this, surveillance is being intensified throughout the State to monitor further spread of infection. West Bengal Government has been asked to furnish a daily report on the control and containment operations to the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries in the Ministry of Agriculture.

The Centre has advised a series of strategic actions to be taken immediately in the area by the Animal Husbandry and Public Health Departments. These include declaration of infected and surveillance areas, ban on movement of poultry and its products in the infected area/closure of poultry and egg markets and shops within a radius of 10 kms. from the infected site, ban on movement of farm personnel, restricting access to wild and stray birds, restricting access to the infected premises, destruction of birds, disposal of dead birds and infected materials; clean-up and disinfection followed by sealing of the premises and issue of sanitization certificate, post operations surveillance, imposition of legislative measures etc. along with necessary measures laid down in the Contingency Plan (2005) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.

As regards compensation for loss of poultry on account of culling and destruction of birds, the rate for payment of compensation has been indicated to the State Governments. The Government of India has conveyed the decision to share costs of compensation on 50:50 basis with the State Governments and authorized State Governments to utilize funds available with them under the programme of ?Assistance to States for Control of Animal Disease? (ASCAD), which is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme. The payment of compensation should be ensured immediately and simultaneously to culling.

International Organizations will be notified by the Central Government at its level.

MP:SB:CP: avian influenza (20.9.2011)
(Release ID :76097)

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=76097

[Treyfish]

Re: Highly pathogenic avian influenza, India (OIE, September 19 2011): One New H5N1 Poultry Outbreak, West Bengal

India Confirms Bird Flu in West Bengal

September 20, 2011

India Tuesday confirmed that there were cases of bird flu in West Bengal after samples collected from Nadia district in the state tested positive, officials said here.

The government also ordered culling operations in the affected area, said a statement issued from the department of animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries under the ministry of agriculture.

"Bird flu has been confirmed in poultry samples collected from two villages of Tehatta I block in Nadia District of West Bengal," the statement said.

The samples forwarded to the Eastern Region Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (ERDDL) in Kolkata and High Security Animal Disease Laboratory (HSADL) in Bhopal tested positive for H5 strain of Avian Influenza, it said.

"It has been decided to immediately commence the culling of birds and destruction of eggs and feed material to control further spread of the disease. The virus has been contained in the affected area," it added.

Culling has been announced within a radius of three kilometres of the infected area.

In addition, surveillance has been ordered in surrounding areas up to 10 km.

Surveillance has also been intensified throughout the state to monitor further spread of infection.

The central government has advised the state to ban movement of poultry and poultry products in the infected area and to close poultry and egg markets and shops within a radius of 10 km from the infected site.

They have suggested a ban on the movement of farm personnel, restricting access to wild and stray birds and stopping access to infected premises.

As regards compensation for loss of poultry on account of culling and destruction of birds, the central government will share costs on a 50:50 basis with the state, the statement said.

"The payment of compensation should be ensured immediately and simultaneously to culling," it said.

The last outbreak took place during February-March in Tripura. The country was declared free from the disease on July 4.http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=116487

[Treyfish]

Re: Highly pathogenic avian influenza, India (OIE, September 19 2011): One New H5N1 Poultry Outbreak, West Bengal

Bird flu confirmed in West Bengal district

India Blooms News Service


Kolkata, Sept 20 (IBNS) Fresh cases of bird flu were reported from West Bengal's southern district of Nadia, official reports said on Tuesday.


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Though the cases were not yet alarming, the fear of a bird flu (H5N1) was confirmed by the laboratory in Bhopal.

Culling of poultry birds like chicken and ducks by veterinary workers would begin in an area covering about 25 villages.

Bird flu first broke out in India in 2006 while in West Bengal it was first reported in 2007 and in a large scale in 2008 when several districts were affected, leading to the culling of over four million poultry birds.

Avian flu had spread to 11 districts of West Bengal in 2008.

Birbhum, South Dinajpur, Murshidabad, Nadia, Burdwan, Bankura, Malda, Hooghly, Cooch Behar, Purulia and Howrah were worst affected.

India has reported no human infections.

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1, also known as "bird flu", A(H5N1) or simply H5N1, is a subtype of the influenza A virus which can cause illness in humans and many other animal species.

A bird-adapted strain of H5N1, called HPAI A(H5N1) for "highly pathogenic avian influenza virus of type A of subtype H5N1", is the causative agent of H5N1 flu, commonly known as "avian influenza" or "bird flu".

Most human contractions of the avian flu are a result of either handling dead infected birds or from contact with infected fluids. http://www.indiablooms.com/NewsDetailsPage/newsDetails200911a.php

[Treyfish]

Re: Highly pathogenic avian influenza, India (OIE, September 19 2011): One New H5N1 Poultry Outbreak, West Bengal

<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 align=center><TBODY><TR><TD>Culling of birds starts in Bengal </TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD class=style8 height=90>NEW DELHI/KOLKATA, Sept 20: The culling of birds began on Tuesday in West Bengal?s Nadia district after the Union Health Ministry confirmed that samples had tested positive for bird flu, an official said. ?We have started culling within a three-kilometre radius of Tehatta Block 1. We have taken other preventive measures within 10-km radius,? said AK Agarwal, secretary, Department of Animal Resources, West Bengal. Agarwal said that on September 14, 849 birds died. Their samples were sent to a laboratory in Kolkata.

http://www.sentinelassam.com/mainnews/story.php?sec=1&subsec=0&id=90434&dtP=2011-09-21&ppr=1#90434</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

[Treyfish]

Re: Highly pathogenic avian influenza, India (OIE, September 19 2011): One New H5N1 Poultry Outbreak, West Bengal

Bird flu in two West Bengal villages

<SCRIPT type=text/javascript>var addthis_pub = "thehindu";</SCRIPT>Raktima Bose
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A poultry farm in Howrah district of West Bengal. Avian influenza, popularly known as Bird Flu, has been confirmed in Nadia district in West Bengal. File photo



The West Bengal government confirmed cases of avian flu in two villages under the Tehatta 1 block of the State's Nadia district on Tuesday and ordered the culling of all poultry birds within a radius of 3 km of the villages.
The government has also ordered the immediate destruction of eggs and feed material within the affected radius to control the spread of the disease.
According to a senior official of the State's Animal Resource Development Department, poultry samples collected from the two villages tested positive for H5 strain of avian influenza at both the Eastern Region Disease Diagnostic Laboratory in the city as well as the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory in Bhopal.
The official said that orders had been sent out for immediate culling of over 50,000 poultry birds in the two affected villages as well as in around 25 other villages located within a 3 km radius of the two villages.
?In addition to the culling strategy, surveillance will be carried out over a further radius up to 10 km. Apart from this, surveillance has also been strengthened in other parts of the State, especially the districts sharing border with Nadia,? he added.
The government has been asked to furnish a daily report on the control and containment operations to the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairy and Fisheries. The Centre has advised a series of strategic actions to be taken immediately in the area by the Animal Husbandry and Public Health Departments.
These include declaration of infected and surveillance areas, ban on movement of poultry and its products in the infected area or enclosure of poultry and egg markets and shops within a radius of 10 km from the infected site, ban on movement of farm personnel, restricting access to wild and stray birds, restricting access to the infected premises, destruction of birds, disposal of dead birds and infected material, clean-up and disinfection followed by sealing of the premises and issue of sanitisation certificate, post operations surveillance and imposition of legislative measures along with necessary measures laid down in the Contingency Plan (2005) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
?As regards compensation for loss of poultry on account of culling and destruction of birds, the rate for payment of compensation has been indicated to the State governments,? the official said.
The Centre has conveyed the decision to share costs of compensation equally with the State government and authorised the government to utilise funds available with them under the Centrally-sponsored programme ?Assistance to States for Control of Animal Disease' (ASCAD).http://www.thehindu.com/health/polic...cle2470357.ece

[Shiloh]

Re: Bird flu returns in West Bengal

Source: http://www.business-standard.com/ind...fected/449960/

Bird flu strikes again, two Bengal villages affected
BS Reporter / New Delhi September 21, 2011, 0:40 IST

Less than three months of declaring it free from the dreaded bird flu, the virus has resurfaced in India with confirmed cases being reported from Nadia district of West Bengal. The agriculture ministry said the bird flu cases have been reported from two villages in Tehatta block in Nadia district of West Bengal.

?Samples forwarded to the ERDDL, Kolkata and High Security Animal Disease Laboratory (HSADL), Bhopal have tested positive for H5 strain of Avian Influenza (bird flu),? an official statement said.

According to a PTI report, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has directed the union animal husbandry department to take steps in coordination with the state government to prevent the incident from spreading further.

?The Prime Minister directed the department to closely monitor the situation to prevent any outbreak even though the incidence is restricted to a few villages,? the report said quoting unnamed sources from the Prime Minister?s Office.

Meanwhile, authorities have started culling of poultry to check the spread of the virus...

[Treyfish]

Re: Highly pathogenic avian influenza, India (OIE, September 19 2011): One New H5N1 Poultry Outbreak, West Bengal

New virus: India to start culling birds

2011-09-20
New Delhi - Authorities in eastern India will start culling chickens and destroying eggs to contain a new outbreak of H5 bird flu, the government said on Tuesday, as a mutant strain of the virus is spreads elsewhere in Asia.

Surveillance was stepped up in West Bengal, a state severely hit by bird flu outbreaks in the past.

The federal government is pushing local authorities to ban the movement of poultry and its products, and restricting access to the affected area after samples tested positive for H5, a government statement said.

"It has been decided to immediately commence the culling of birds and destruction of eggs and feed material to control further spread of the disease," it said.

Last month, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) warned of a possible resurgence of bird flu and said a mutant strain of the H5N1 virus was spreading in Asia and beyond.

It was not immediately clear if the latest outbreak in India was related to the new Asian strain.

Virologists warn there is no vaccine against the H5N1 strain recently found in China and Vietnam that could potentially carry risks for humans and called for closer monitoring of the disease in poultry and wild birds to stop it spreading.

Bird flu first broke out in India in 2006 and millions of chickens and ducks have been culled since to contain the virus, but it has resurfaced from time to time.

India did not give further details about the exact strain of flu found in the latest outbreak West Bengal.
http://www.news24.com/World/News/New...birds-20110920

[Treyfish]

Re: Highly pathogenic avian influenza, India (OIE, September 19 2011): One New H5N1 Poultry Outbreak, West Bengal

After 3 years, bird flu is back in West Bengal

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Kolkata, Sept. 20:
Bird flu or avian influenza has resurfaced in West Bengal again after a gap of 3 years.
The State government on Tuesday confirmed incidents of bird flu in Nadia district. According to senior Government officials, incidents of avian influenza have been confirmed in poultry samples collected from two villages in Tehatta Block 1 of the district.
Samples collected from the villages were sent to the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory (HSADL) in Bhopal where they tested positive for the H5N1 strain.
?The State Government has ordered immediate culling of birds and destruction of eggs and feed material to control the spread of the disease. Around 50,000 birds will be culled,? a senior State Animal Resource Department official said. According to senior State government officials, culling of the entire poultry stock within a three kilometre radius of the affected villages will be carried out.
Surveillance will also be carried out across the affected villages as well as those within a 10-km radius, and in districts bordering Nadia.
The West Bengal Government has been asked to furnish a daily report to the Centre.
PRECAUTIONS

The Centre has advised a series of strategic actions to be taken up immediately in the area by the Animal Husbandry and Public Health Departments. It has issued guidelines to ban the movement of poultry and its products in the infected areas; closure of poultry and egg markets and shops within a radius of 10 km from the infected site; ban on movement of farm personnel; restricting access to wild and stray birds, infected premises; disposal of dead birds and infected materials; clean-up and disinfection followed by sealing of the premises.
The Union Government will share costs of compensation on 50:50 basis with the State government for the loss of poultry on account of culling and destruction of birds.http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/...cle2470853.ece

[Treyfish]

Re: Highly pathogenic avian influenza, India (OIE, September 19 2011): One New H5N1 Poultry Outbreak, West Bengal

Bird flu in West Bengal; govt orders culling
Krishnagar (WB), Sept 20
Culling of birds began today at Tehatta 1 block in Nadia district after confirmation of the outbreak of Avian Influenza, popularly known as Bird Flu. Symptoms of Avian Influenza were initially observed among hens in 13 villages under 5 Gram Panchayat areas of Tehatta 1 block about 10 days back.
The samples of the birds were collected and sent to High Security Animal Disease Laboratory (HSADL) Bhopal for tests.
"The report arrived at around 6.30 pm yesterday confirming Bird Flu. We decided to start culling and it was initiated today," Nure Alam Chowdhury, Animal Resource Department Minister told a press conference after visiting the affected block here today.
Twenty teams comprising 420 persons were deployed in the process of culling scheduled in 5 gram panchayat areas. After culling, the dead birds will be buried at Lalbazar, a place near Indo-Bangladesh border. Three big holes were dug up for the disposal of the culled birds here, he said.
Tehatta SDO Achinta Mondal said "we hope to cull about 5000 birds today and the culling work will go on up to 7 pm and the culled birds will be buried".
The minister arrived at Tehatta today morning and visited some of the affected places.
Meanwhile the Indo-Bangla border has also been sealed, the minister said.
Official reports said culling will continue for three consecutive days. During this period, movement of people deployed in culling also have been restricted outside the area. They have been provided with special uniform.
The SDO said the tyres of the vehicles moving through the areas would be disinfected. About 300 vehicles cross the area on an average everyday along the Krishnagar-Karimpur road.
There is a vast waterbody at Tehatta where some migratory birds come during winter. The minister suspected the migratory birds might have left behind the germs of Bird Flu.
The minister said "there is no need to get into panic mode as the situation is under control." The owners of the culled birds would be provided with coupons at the time of culling and they would be compensated accordingly.
"They will get the same rate as was given to them in 2009", the minister said adding they would try to provide them with a higher rate. Over 50,000 birds, including 20,000 ducks and pigeons, were affected with Bird Flu in the block, the sources said. http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110921/nation.htm#8

[Treyfish]

Re: Highly pathogenic avian influenza, India (OIE, September 19 2011): One New H5N1 Poultry Outbreak, West Bengal

20,000 birds culled in Nadia
PTI | 08:09 PM,Sep 21,2011
Krishnagar(WB), Sep 21 (PTI) About 20,000 birds have been culled since yesterday at Tehatta block in Nadia district following outbreak of Avian Influenza, popularly known as Bird Flu. While about 14,000 birds were culled on Tuesday, about 6,000 birds were culled till 6.30 pm today, Nadia district magistrate Avinaba Chanda and Tehatta SDO Achinta Mondal said. "60 teams were deployed for culling on Wednesday.Extensively, it will take seven days to finish the culling while intensively we will try to do the same within three days," Chanda said. The SDO said, "The birds enter the cages after evening and that is why the rate of culling increases after evening." Culling had continued up to 8 pm yesterday, he said


20000-birds-culled-in-nadia

[Emily]

India's West Bengal state has started culling poultry after cases of bird flu

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...425392122.html

Indian State Starts Culling After Bird Flu Outbreak
By DEBIPRASAD NAYAK
SEPTEMBER 22, 2011, 3:57 A.M. ET

MUMBAI -- India's West Bengal state has started culling poultry after cases of bird flu, a senior industry executive said Thursday, adding, however, that the outbreak hasn't spread and that it is confined to a small area...

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Highly pathogenic avian influenza, India (OIE, September 19 2011): One New H5N1 Poultry Outbreak, West Bengal

23/09/2011
30,000 birds culled in Nadia: DM

Krishnagar(WB), Sept 21 (PTI) About 30,000 birds have been culled till today at Tehatta 1 block in Nadia district where there has been an outbreak of Bird Flu.
"While about 14000 birds were culled on Tuesday, about 6000 birds were culled yesterday and about 10,000 today," Nadia district magistrate Avinaba Chanda said.
"Sixty teams were deployed for culling today," he said adding about 8,000 birds would be culled tomorrow.

...

http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5460063

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Highly pathogenic avian influenza, India (OIE, September 19 2011): One New H5N1 Poultry Outbreak, West Bengal

Character of bird flu strain yet to be studied
Aditi Tandon/TNS

New Delhi, September 22
Even as the Prime Minister?s Office expressed concern over the latest outbreak of bird flu in West Bengal and sought utmost caution, the Health Ministry today deputed a Central team to monitor its consequences on human health. Avian influenza, or bird flu, is caused by Influenza A virus that has many sub-types.

The most virulent of these are highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses that take little time to reach epidemic levels among birds. Of these sub-types, H5 (detected in Bengal), and more particularly subtype H5N1, pose the greatest concern for human health with the WHO repeatedly referring to evidence that H5N1 strain has a unique capacity to jump the species barrier and cause severe disease with high mortality in humans.

Meanwhile, India is yet to determine the exact strain of the flu that broke out in West Bengal, with Chief of the Indian Council for Medical Research Dr VM Katoch admitting to The Tribune that ?we have not yet seen the character of the strain. We are getting constant reports and our branches in the state are supporting animal husbandry staff culling chickens and destroying eggs to prevent the spread of the flu. We will gain knowledge of the nature of this strain soon?.

Asked how vigilant the people needed to be, Katoch said there was no cause for alarm or fear but added, ?It would have to be seen if the new flu strain has the capability of mutating in a way that affects humans.?

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110923/nation.htm#7