Ronan Kelly
Retired 2020
Bird flu scare returns in Bengal village
Ravik Bhattacharya Posted online: Wednesday, Dec 30, 2009 at 0332 hrs
Kolkata : West Bengal is in again in the grip of bird flu or avian influenza scare. More than 2,000 birds, including domestic poultry, were found dead in the remote village of Durmoth at Mongolkot in Burdwan district, prompting the state animal resources development department to send a team to collect samples. The result will be announced within the next few days. The district administration has started an awareness campaign in the village, which was one of the areas hit when bird flu broke out in January 2008. At that time the state had incurred a loss of Rs 500 crore and 4 million birds had to be culled. Thirteen districts were hit by the bird flu menace at that time.
?There is no need to panic. The samples have been sent for testing. Birds have died, but there can be a number of reasons behind it. We are prepared to tackle any outbreak,? said Narayan Biswas, state Animal Resource Development Minister.
?Our team visited the area on Tuesday and collected samples of dead birds from the village and its periphery. We have sent the samples to the testing laboratory in Belgachhia. We have started an awareness campaign in the area and have asked the villagers to dispose of the carcasses of the birds in a pit,? said Udaybhanu Gangopadhyay, Deputy Director of district ARD.
http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/561277/
Ravik Bhattacharya Posted online: Wednesday, Dec 30, 2009 at 0332 hrs
Kolkata : West Bengal is in again in the grip of bird flu or avian influenza scare. More than 2,000 birds, including domestic poultry, were found dead in the remote village of Durmoth at Mongolkot in Burdwan district, prompting the state animal resources development department to send a team to collect samples. The result will be announced within the next few days. The district administration has started an awareness campaign in the village, which was one of the areas hit when bird flu broke out in January 2008. At that time the state had incurred a loss of Rs 500 crore and 4 million birds had to be culled. Thirteen districts were hit by the bird flu menace at that time.
?There is no need to panic. The samples have been sent for testing. Birds have died, but there can be a number of reasons behind it. We are prepared to tackle any outbreak,? said Narayan Biswas, state Animal Resource Development Minister.
?Our team visited the area on Tuesday and collected samples of dead birds from the village and its periphery. We have sent the samples to the testing laboratory in Belgachhia. We have started an awareness campaign in the area and have asked the villagers to dispose of the carcasses of the birds in a pit,? said Udaybhanu Gangopadhyay, Deputy Director of district ARD.
http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/561277/