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

[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>Dispur sounds health alert
- Assam lacks wherewithal to treat humans affected by avian flu, admits minister
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=articleauthor>OUR BUREAU</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. 11: Dispur today sounded a grim warning over the probable spread of avian influenza to humans, saying the state was not equipped to handle such a health scenario.

The alert came in the wake of 82 cases of upper respiratory track infections in humans that were reported from six districts affected by bird flu. However, it was not yet confirmed whether these were bird flu-related cases.
An infection in the upper respiratory track is one of the symptoms of the disease in humans.
“If human beings are affected it would be a bigger disaster than floods or blasts,” health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told mediapersons here today.
He said that the health department could only handle 100 to 200 cases if the disease were to be transmitted to humans.
“Central teams under the regional director for health and family welfare are monitoring the situation in areas where the outbreak of the disease has been reported,” the minister said.
“The people are taking the matter very lightly without realising the consequences. There are allegations of chicken and ducks being kept away from culling.”
The minister urged the people to co-operate with veterinary officials as a precaution.
Sarma said culling operations were on in full swing with over three lakh poultry lined up for the purpose within the next few days. He said the figures were likely to go up after the outbreak in Dibrugarh and Chirang yesterday.
Barpeta, Kamrup (rural), Kamrup (metro) and Nalbari have already been affected by the flu.
Close to 2.5 lakh poultry has been culled so far. The ban on sale and movement of poultry and poultry-related products from affected areas has been imposed.
Culling operations will begin in Dibrugarh town tomorrow morning, two days after a case of avian flu was detected there.
Dibrugarh deputy commissioner Ashutosh Agnihotri said all necessary arrangements had been completed for the operations and rapid response teams were ready to carry out the drive.
The focal point in Dibrugarh town from where the bird flu case was detected as positive is ward number 6 under Dibrugarh Municipal Board. The 3km radius would cover the entire township, including Dibrugarh University and its adjoining areas.
The positive case was detected after poultry retailer Biswajeet Das from the Chiring Chapori area reported to the local veterinary department officials that around 120 of his birds had died all of a sudden on November 6.
“We had collected the samples of the dead birds and sent them for tests to the Bhopal-based High Security Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory. Thereafter, we received a report from the laboratory confirming the case as positive”, a veterinary department official said.
To compound matters, shortage of trained veterinary staff slowed down the culling of birds at Khanapara in the capital city which began this morning after the bird flu outbreak was confirmed at a government-run chicken rearing farm there yesterday.
“We have engaged five culling teams overnight after bird flu was confirmed at Khanapara. The areas within 3km of the epicentre has been declared as alert zone or high risk zone where culling will be carried out,” a government official supervising the operations said.
The alert zone in the city comprises Jawahar Nagar, Beltola, Six Mile, Rukminigaon, Dispur, Ganeshguri, parts of Hatigaon and Panjabari, among others.
The official admitted that their efforts had been impeded by shortage of trained staff for culling in the city as most of them were engaged in similar operations in other affected areas of the state.​

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http://www.telegraphindia.com/1081212/jsp/northeast/story_10240174.jsp

 

[AlaskaDenise]

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

Commentary

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/12110806/H5N1_Barpeta_60.html

Commentary

Sixty URI Patients In Barpeta India Raise H5N1 Concerns
Recombinomics Commentary 22:44
December 11, 2008

In Barpeta District, out of the total population of 33,934 in the 0-3 km radius area from the affected area, a population of 6,032 have been surveyed

So far, 60 cases of fever with URI have been detected in the 0-3 km radius area.

The above comments describe excessive upper respiratory infections with fever in the Barpeta district (see satellite map). Assam is setting up monitoring patients in the 0-3 km radius and 3-10 km radius around various epicenters of H5N1 infection. The update gives the number of people residing in the area, as well as how many have been surveyed.

The Barpeta district has 33,934 people, but only 6,032 were surveyed and 60 patients with symptoms were identified. In contrast, similar numbers for the target population were given for Nalbari (7,761/34,627), but only 1 patient with symptoms was identified. The smaller Azara block in the Kamrup district had 7,222 surveyed, and only 2 patients had symptoms.

Thus, the frequency of patients with symptoms is 30-60 fold higher in Barpeta than Azara or Nalbari, respectively.

These types of numbers are raising concerns that the region is not equipped to handle these patients, especially since less than 1/5 of the at risk population in Barpeta has been surveyed and Barpeta was one of the earliest outbreaks.

These numbers of symptomatic patients are cause for concern.


.

 

[Shiloh]

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

Source: http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200812121021.htm

300,000 people in bird flu-hit Assam under surveillance

Guwahati (IANS): Health authorities in Assam have placed under surveillance about 300,000 people in bird flu affected areas with reports of some 150 people suffering from fever and upper respiratory infections, fuelling fears of the deadly virus spreading to humans, officials said Friday.

"Isolation facilities have been strengthened to admit and treat suspect cases although no cases of influenza like illness with history of contact with infected poultry have been detected so far," Parthajyoti Gogoi, regional director (northeast) of the central health and family welfare department, told IANS.

"About 150 people were treated for fever and upper respiratory tract infections in bird flu hit areas. We have put the patients in isolation, although the symptoms do not indicate influenza like illness," he added.

The bird flu virus has spread across six Assam districts, with authorities claiming it has assumed an epidemic proportion. More than 250,000 poultry has been culled in the past two weeks in Assam and an estimated 150,000 more are ordered to be killed.

Health authorities have sounded a general alert fearing strains of the deadly bird flu virus spreading to humans and sparking a pandemic in the state.

"We are really worried about the bird flu virus spreading to humans as the strains transmit rapidly. We don't know for sure if our health department would be able to cope if such a thing happens," said Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

"We want the people of Assam to cooperate with the veterinary department so that the culling operations are carried out properly. Otherwise, we might face a disaster," he added.

The districts hit by bird flu are Kamrup (Metro), Kamrup (Rural), Dibrugarh, Nalbari, Barpeta and Chirang.

The poultry targeted includes ducks and chickens. Authorities have imposed a ban on sale of poultry and poultry products in most parts of Assam after the bird flu outbreak.

"Additional logistics are being mobilised and we are monitoring the situation of a daily basis," Gogoi said.

 

[HenryN]

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

Prasanta MazumdarFirst Published : 12 Dec 2008 01:30:00 AM ISTLast Updated : GUWAHATI: The Assam Government has sounded a high alert in the wake of the rapid spread of bird flu or Avian influenza to newer areas in the state.

So far, seven districts of the state, including Nalbari, Barpeta, Baksa, Bongaigaon, Dibrugarh, Kamrup (rural) and Kamrup (city) have been hit by bird flu.
The latest entrants in the list of affected districts were Kamrup (city) and Dibrugarh, prompting the authorities to ban the sale and import of poultry and poultry products there with immediate effect.
Official sources said poultry samples from Dibrugarh district in Upper Assam were tested positive for the potent H5N1 strain that causes the flu. Sources said 22 rapid reaction teams started culling of birds in Dibrugarh town on Thursday.
The Kamrup (city) administration banned the sale of poultry and poultry products, even in cooked form, under Section 144 of the CrPC to prevent the spread of the disease. A directive towards this effect was issued after poultry samples, collected from the Khanapara area of Guwahati and sent for laboratory test in Bhopal and Pune, confirmed the presence of H5N1 strain.
Reports received on Thursday said at least 85 poultry birds have died of the flu at the state?s veterinary department-run Chick Rearing Centre at Khanapara.
According to official sources, the authorities have culled over one lakh poultry birds since November 28 when the flu was first detected at Hajo in Kamrup (rural) district.
Sources said steps such as mopping up and sprinkling of disinfectants were continuing.
They suspected that migratory birds as well as the movement of infected birds could have caused the rapid spread of the disease.

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/...b7ziAYMenjw=&SEO=H5N1&SectionName=pWehHe7IsSU=

 

[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>Central Veterinary Team visits Assam
</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 12
A three-member Central Veterinary delegation is arriving in Assam on friday to assess the bird flu situation in as many as seven districts of the State. The delegation is headed by the Secretary in the Central Veterinary Department, Mr. N. Gokul Ram. He will be accompanied by the Department's joint secretary Mr. Arvind Kaushal and Commissioner Mr. S.K.Bandopadhyay. According to official sources, around three lakh poultry birds have so far been culled in the avian influenza affected areas of Kamrup (Rural), Kamrup (Metro), Barpeta, Nalbari, Baksa, Sirang and Dibrugarh. Around three hundred Rapid Response Teams have been deployed to complete culling operation within three kilometer radius of the disease-affected areas. A state-wide red alert has been issued besides sale and movement of poultry birds and products have been banned under section 144 Cr. P.C. in view of outbreak the disease to some new areas. The State Government has asked the people in avian flu-hit districts to cooperate with veterinary authorities undertaking culling operation. They have been asked to avoid direct contact with infected birds and not to eat uncooked eggs, mix poultry juice with raw food. It has been advised to cook poultry products above 70 degree Celsius before consumption and stay away from water contaminated by disease-affected birds.
http://newsonair.nic.in/news.asp?cat=State&id=ST2961</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

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

OIE-report:

http://www.oie.int/wahis/public.php?page=single_report&pop=1&reportid=7606

 

[HenryN]

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

http://www.oie.int/wahis/reports/en_fup_0000007606_20081212_150210.pdf

Follow-up report No.: 1​

Report reference: , OIE Ref: 7606, Report Date: 11/12/2008, Country: India​

Report Summary​

Disease​

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​

​

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Highly pathogenic avian influenza Animal type Terrestrial​

Causal Agent​

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​

​

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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​

​

​

​

​

11/12/2008 Date Submitted To OIE 12/12/2008​

Diagnosis​

​

​

​

​

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

Number Of Reported Outbreaks​

​

​

​

​

Submitted= 9, Draft= 0 Name of Sender of the report Mr Natarajan Gokulram​

Address​

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​

​

​

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

Position​

​

​

​

​

Secretary to the Government of India​

Telephone​

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​

​

​

(91-11) 23 38 26 08​

Fax​

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​

​

​

(91-11) 23 38 80 06​

Email​

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​

​

​

secyahd@nic.in​

Entered by​

​

​

​

​

Mr Natarajan Gokulram​

Outbreak (other 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 51788 324 324 51397 ...​

Affected Population​

​

​

​

​

backyard poultry mainly in a small village​

Outbreak (this report - submitted)​

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

ASSAM Kamrup Rani Village Patgaon 26,2 91,15 28/11/2008​

Species Measuring units Susceptible Cases Deaths Destroyed Slaughtered​

Birds Animals 7884 682 682 7202 ...​

Affected Population​

​

​

​

​

backyard poultry mainly in a small village.​

Outbreak (this report - submitted)​

Printed on: Fri Dec 12 15:02:11 Paris, Madrid 2008 Page 1/5​

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

ASSAM Kamrup Rampur Village Sarpara 26,2 91,15 30/11/2008​

Species Measuring units Susceptible Cases Deaths Destroyed Slaughtered​

Birds Animals 168054 30 30 168024 ...​

Affected Population​

​

​

​

​

backyard poultry mainly in a small village.​

Outbreak (this report - submitted)​

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

ASSAM Barpeta Gobardhana Village Katajhar 26,5 90,39 30/11/2008​

Species Measuring units Susceptible Cases Deaths Destroyed Slaughtered​

Birds Animals 10715 18 18 10697 ...​

Affected Population​

​

​

​

​

backyard poultry mainly in a small village.​

Outbreak (this report - submitted)​

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

ASSAM Nalbari Pachim Nalbari Village Katla 26 91 30/11/2008​

Species Measuring units Susceptible Cases Deaths Destroyed Slaughtered​

Birds Animals 8406 75 75 8331 ...​

Affected Population​

​

​

​

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backyard poultry mainly in a small village.​

Outbreak (this report - submitted)​

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

ASSAM Kamrup Guwahati Farm Khanapara 26,2 91,15 05/12/2008​

Species Measuring units Susceptible Cases Deaths Destroyed Slaughtered​

Birds Animals 1231 112 112 ... ...​

Affected Population​

​

​

​

​

a chick rearing farm​

Outbreak (this report - submitted)​

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

ASSAM Chirang Sidli Chirang Village Nilibari 26,35 90,38 05/12/2008​

Species Measuring units Susceptible Cases Deaths Destroyed Slaughtered​

Birds Animals 1500 399 399 ... ...​

Affected Population​

​

​

​

​

backyard poultry mainly in a small village.​

Outbreak (this report - submitted)​

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

ASSAM Kamrup Bezera Village Jalah 26,2 91,15 06/12/2008
Follow-up report No.: 1. Report reference: , OIE Ref: 7606, Report Date: 11/12/2008, Country: India
Printed on: Fri Dec 12 15:02:11 Paris, Madrid 2008 Page 2/5​

Species Measuring units Susceptible Cases Deaths Destroyed Slaughtered​

Birds Animals 2500 500 500 ... ...​

Affected Population​

​

​

​

​

backyard poultry mainly in a small village.​

Outbreak (this report - submitted)​

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

ASSAM Dibrugarh Dibrugarh Village Ward No. 6, East Revenue Circle 27,28 95,54 07/12/2008​

Species Measuring units Susceptible Cases Deaths Destroyed Slaughtered​

Birds Animals 120 120 120 ... ...​

Affected Population​

​

​

​

​

backyard poultry mainly in a small village.​

Outbreak summary: Total outbreaks = 9 (Submitted)​

Species Susceptible Cases Deaths Destroyed Slaughtered​

Birds 252198 2260 2260 245651​

Epidemiology​

Epidemiological comments​

Epidemiological investigation is ongoing. Stamping out of all domestic poultry is being applied in an approximately 3-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.
Restocking will be applied in accordance with a specific protocol.​

Source of the outbreak(s) or origin of infection​

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​

​

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? Unknown or inconclusive​

Control Measures​

? Stamping out​

Applied​

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​

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? Quarantine
? Movement control inside the country
? Screening​

To be applied​

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​

​

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? 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​

Follow-up report No.: 1. Report reference: , OIE Ref: 7606, Report Date: 11/12/2008, Country: India
Printed on: Fri Dec 12 15:02:11 Paris, Madrid 2008 Page 3/5​

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

National laboratory High Security Animal Disease Laboratory, Bhopal Birds reverse transcription - polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) 09/12/2008 Positive
National laboratory High Security Animal Disease Laboratory, Bhopal Birds real-time PCR 09/12/2008 Positive
National laboratory High Security Animal Disease Laboratory, Bhopal Birds reverse transcription - polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) 03/12/2008 Positive
National laboratory High Security Animal Disease Laboratory, Bhopal Birds real-time PCR 03/12/2008 Positive
National laboratory High Security Animal Disease Laboratory, Bhopal Birds reverse transcription - polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) 01/12/2008 Positive
National laboratory High Security Animal Disease Laboratory, Bhopal Birds real-time PCR 01/12/2008 Positive​

Future Reporting​

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

There are 9outbreaks 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.​

Follow

 

[Treyfish]

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

Health scare in Indian state as bird flu spreads


December 12, 2008 8:09 AM

India - Medical workers were going door-to-door to look for people with symptoms of avian influenza in northeast India Friday as the infection in birds spread further, officials said.


So far, no human cases of infection of the deadly H5N1 virus have been reported in the affected Assam state, but authorities stepped up a health drive after 150 people developed some symptoms of the infection.


"About 150 people were treated for fever and upper respiratory tract infections in bird flu-hit areas. We have put the patients in isolation," senior health official Parthajyoti Gogoi told AFP.


Bird flu was ruled out in all cases, the official said.


The virus has spread in the past two weeks across six Assam districts, where an estimated 300,000 people live in the affected areas.


More than 250,000 poultry have been slaughtered so far and an estimated 150,000 more have been ordered to be killed.


The government was "worried" about the infection spreading to humans, as authorities may not be able to cope, local health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.


The sale of poultry and poultry products has been banned in most parts of the state.


India reported its worst outbreak of bird flu early this year in the eastern state of West Bengal.


The WHO says the deadly H5N1 strain has killed nearly 250 people, mostly in Southeast Asia, since 2003.
Read full post and comments

 

[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>Central team in Assam to assess measures to contain bird flu
</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 12
In Assam, a three-member central team, headed by Secretary in the Agriculture Ministry, Mr. N. Gokulram arrived in Guwahati on Friday to supervise the measures taken by the State Government to contain the dreaded bird flu. The team had a detailed discussion with the State Chief Secretary Mr. Prafulla Sharma and other top veterinary officials at Dispur on Friday evening. They also took note of the action taken by the State Government to contain the disease. The team stressed on creating massive awareness among the people so that the disease does not transport to the human being.
AIR Guwahati Correspondent reports that the disease has spread to seven upper and lower Assam districts so far. More than three lakh poultry birds have so far been culled in the bird flu affected areas of Kamrup, Nalbari, Barpeta, Baksa, Sirang, Bongaigaon and Dibrugarh districts. In some parts of Sirang and Bongaigaon districts, culling operation is reportedly disrupted in view of protests by the poultry owners.
Around eight lakh people related to poultry business in the state have been affected due to outbreak of the disease. The authorities have paid rupees 20 to 75 to the owners according to the size of each duck and hen culled.

http://www.newsonair.com/news.asp?cat=state&id=ST2970
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[HenryN]

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

Assam: Bird flu reaches alarming proportion
K Anurag in Guwahati | December 12, 2008 21:47 IST
Over 2.6 lakh fowls have been culled in Assam so far where flu bird has reached an alarming proportion affecting nine districts till date. The state veterinary and animal husbandry department have engaged over 400 rapid response teams in the on-going culling operation.
The first incidence of bird flu was reported in a village under Hajo revenue circle of Kamrup districts on November 27 last. Immediately, the state veterinary department launched culling operations in surrounding areas. However, fresh reports of incidence of the disease continued to pour in from new areas.
The avian influenza has taken even spread to the state's capital city where the dreaded virus was detected among poultry birds in a government run farm. The state government has sounded alert over sale and consumption of the poultry products in the state while sale of the same has been banned in all affected districts, according to an official source.
Meanwhile, the government in the neighbouring has imposed ban on import of poultry products through Assam in the wake of outbreak of the avian influenza.
Meghalaya Veterinary department has collected samples from domestic fowls to check presence of stains of deadly H5N1 virus (bird flu virus).
With bird flu spreading to new areas in the state, Assam health department has pressed the panic button saying that it was not adequately equipped to handle large scale transmission of bird flu to humans.
The state health officials are closely monitoring upper respiratory tract infection � a symptom of bird flu -- detected in humans in different bird flu affected areas in the state. However, it was yet to be confirmed whether these URI cases were really transmitted from affected poultry birds or not as none of the affected persons had any history of coming in contact with bird flu affected poultry birds, a senior health department official said.
Central health department teams comprising doctors, epidemiologist, and microbiologists have fanned out to some of the bird flu affected areas in Kamrup and Nalbari districts of the state under the supervision of the Regional Directorate of Health and Family Welfare to monitor the situation on daily basis.

http://ia.rediff.com/news/2008/dec/12assam-bird-flu-situation-alarming.htm

 

[Giuseppe]

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

INDIA: AVIAN INFLUENZA H5N1 POULTRY EPIZOOTICS IN ASSAM, UPDATE (12/12/2008) [GOVT OF INDIA]

Original PDF document at: http://dahd.nic.in/flu/bfconfirmationassam11Dec2008.pdf


<table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From TABLES</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From TABLES</td></tr></tbody></table>

 

[HenryN]

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

Govt steps to tackle bird flu
</B>[SIZE=-1]Staff reporter
GUWAHATI, Dec 12 ? The Chief Minster today directed the departments concerned to take all necessary measures to bring bird flu under control and to prevent its transmission to humans. The Chief Minister who was reviewing the bird flu-related situation with his Ministerial colleagues and senior officials at Dispur, also directed the Veterinary and Health Departments to work together to prevent a disaster.

Disclosing this, official sources here said that the Chief Minister has also directed administration to prohibit forthwith inter-district transportation of poultry and poultry products and made an appeal to the people to cooperate with the authorities in the culling operations. The meeting also decided to enhance the compensation rates of poultry to Rs 80 for each of the broiler variety of fowls, Rs 90 for each of the local variety of fowls, Rs 125 for each of the ducks and Rs 15 for each of the chicks and ducklings.

Culling of poultry in the bird flu affected areas of the State is going in the State, barring the Hajo Revenue Circle areas, where the drive against the disease has already come to conclusion.

The Veterinary Department has been preparing to send more serum and floacal samples from other areas of the State to the Bhopal-based High Security Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (HSADL) and the Pune-based National Institute of Virology (NIV).

Meanwhile, sale, purchase and transportation of poultry and cooked and raw poultry products are prohibited in the Kamrup and Kamrup (Metro) districts. Similar prohibitory orders on sale and transportation of poultry and poultry products have also been promulgated in the other districts from where reports of bird flu prevalence have been reported.

The Basistha Police in the city arrested last night four persons while they were trying to transport 470 poultry to Meghalaya. The persons identified to be Nazir Ali and Muquddar Ali?both owners of the birds and abdur Rahim and Zehirul Islam respectively driver and handyman of the vehicle used in the case, brought the poultry from Barpeta and were heading to Meghalaya. A case has been registered against them (617/08) in the police station.

The Basistha Police also arrested two persons Rafique Ali and Md Sahidul Ali from near the Beltola Social Service Office while they were carrying 84 poultry in gunny bags today. A case (618/08) has been registered against them by the police station, said official sources here.

The Goalpara district administration has also promulgated a similar order prohibiting sale and transportation of poultry and poultry products from and to the district. The measure has been initiated as a preventive step, said official sources in Goalpara.

Official sources in Goalpara told this newspaper that the Veterinary Department in association with the district administration of Goalpara seized today two cartons of eggs at Dudhnoi while the eggs were carried to Meghalaya.

The Goalpara District Veterinary Office today sent 19 sera and floacal samples of poultry to the North East Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (NERDDL) for forwarding them to Bhopal HSADL and Pune NIV. Earlier, the District Veterinary Office had sent 171 sera and floacal samples to the NERDDL for the same purpose.

Collection of sera and floacal samples of poultry in the district is on, said the sources.

Our Correspondents add:

Mangaldoi: There is no report of occurrence of bird flu from any part of Darrang District. However, sale of poultry and poultry products is prohibited in the district for an indefinite period.

Bongaigaon: Culling of poultry started in the Dagtola, Kakragaon and Simalaguri areas of Chirang District today, along with the Tengaigaon area of Bongaigaon District.

The owners of the poultry are unhappy with the compensation amount and they are resenting it to be meagre compared to the market value of the poultry. They have another reason to resent the culling of their birds, as, to them, their birds are healthy apparently. The resentment of the villagers has caused delay in the culling operations.[/SIZE]
http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=dec1308/at03

 

[HenryN]

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

Bird flu alert in north Bengal district








Cooch Behar (WB): An alert for bird flu was sounded on Friday in north Bengal?s Cooch Behar district.
Samples of blood have been sent for the test following the outbreak in the neighbouring districts of Assam. Additional District
Magistrate (D), Cooch Behar, Pannalal Mahapatra, said though there was no report of poultry death, arrangements had been made to disinfect vehicles coming from Assam. Officials of the Animal Resource Development department have sent samples of blood collected from different areas for laboratory tests ? PTI

http://www.hindu.com/2008/12/13/stories/2008121350560100.htm

 

[HenryN]

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

Bird flu detected in Dibrugarh, alert sounded
[SIZE=-1]STAFF CORRESPONDENT
DIBRUGARH, Dec 12 ? The Health Ministry confirmed the outbreak of bird flu in Dibrugarh on Wednesday evening after laboratory tests detected strains of the deadly H5N1 avian influenza in the samples sent by veterinary officials of Dibrugarh. The samples were collected from a poultry farm in Chiring Chapori here, after the reported death of more than 120 birds.

The district Veterinary and Animal husbandry department sounded an alert on Wednesday evening and the district administration was quick to respond by banning sale and purchase of poultry including ducks and eggs in the area.

About 30,000 poultry and nearly 1100 ducks are expected to be killed within a three kilometer radius from the detected poultry farm. ?The entire culling process is expected to be completed in seven to ten days as RRT are expected to visit farms as well as each and every household in the area,? veterinary officials said. Although, fifty per cent of the cost of birds would be paid to the farmers after culling, it is learned that unscrupulous farmers were either engaged in hiding the birds or shifting them to other areas.

Protective gears like aprons, hand gloves, masks, antiseptic and antiviral medicines etc. reached Dibrugarh on Thursday morning. However, medical examinations of the members of the RRT could not be conducted on Thursday for want of antiviral drug (Tami Flu). This has clearly exposed the unpreparedness of the district administration.

In another incident, town veterinary officer, Dr R B Pradhan on Thursday seized about 30 kilograms of tapeworm-infected carcass of pig from a roadside bazaar near the Doordarshan Staff Colony gate. The farmer, an old man selling the visible unhygienic pork was reprimanded for evading ante mortem of the carcass and selling it for public consumption illegally.[/SIZE]

http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=dec1308/State

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

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

More from West Bengal

Bird flu scare

Malda, Dec. 12: The government has sounded a north Bengal alert following a bird flu outbreak in Assam, but at least 250 chickens have died in a Malda village in two days and no sample has been sent for tests.

A panchayat leader said the ?chickens got drowsy and died?. Villagers complained of dead birds being dumped all over. ?Children are playing with them.?

Over 30,000 chickens had died in Malda in January and nearly two lakh were culled. The flu struck Assam less than a month after India declared itself free of the disease. Two teams from Delhi will join three already in that state to assist in human surveillance.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1081213/jsp/bengal/story_10246730.jsp

 

[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>Crackdown on border shops

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=articleauthor>OUR BUREAU </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. 12: Dispur today moved the Meghalaya government to take steps to prevent the sale of poultry and poultry products in Ri Bhoi district bordering bird flu-affected Kamrup (metro).

The Assam government also arrested six persons in Guwahati for smuggling birds out of the district in violation of Section 144 CrPC that banned the sale and movement of poultry and poultry-related products.
Meghalaya was alerted after reports came in that shops along National Highway 37 on the inter-state border were selling chicken even after bird flu was confirmed in the Central Chick Rearing Farm in Khanapara on Wednesday evening.
The department of animal husbandry, dairy and fisheries under the Union ministry of agriculture also wrote to the Meghalaya government yesterday, saying culling operations within the 3-km radius from the epicentre of flu outbreak at Khanapara extended to certain areas in Meghalaya.
Kamrup (metro) deputy commissioner Prateek Hajela said the state government had taken up the matter at the highest level with its Meghalaya counterpart.
In Guwahati, the four persons — Nizam Ali, Muqadar Ali, Abdul Rahim and Jehirul Islam — were arrested for allegedly trying to transport 470 birds from Barpeta to Shillong. Two more men, Rafiq Ali and Sahidul Ali, were arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle out 84 birds in a gunny bag. The cases against the six of them under Section 140 have been registered at Basistha police station.
Besides the arrests, both chief minister Tarun Gogoi and chief secretary P.C. Sharma held separate meetings to review the situation. The high-level meeting chaired by Gogoi this evening decided to hike compensation for culled birds. According to the new rates, a culled full-grown duck will fetch Rs 125, a local chicken Rs 90, a brolier Rs 80.
Ri Bhoi deputy commissioner S.F. Khongwir admitted that some people were still selling chicken in the bordering areas of the district with Assam, including Guwahati.
He said soon after receiving the information, policemen were sent to areas where poultry is being sold.
Hajela said till last night, a total of 3,900 birds were culled against a target of about 50,000 in Guwahati. “At Patgaon — another avian flu-hit area of Kamrup (metro) — 16,600 birds have been culled. The culling operation at Patgaon is on its last leg and likely to end by tomorrow evening.”
Two additional central health teams will fly to Assam tomorrow to conduct surveillance of people in areas affected by the flu. The teams from the National Institute of Communicable Diseases in New Delhi will join three others already in the state to assist in human surveillance.
The health ministry has already sent 10,000 capsules of Tamiflu, an anti-viral drug, 6,000 surgical masks, 600 personal protective equipment, and two ventilators to the state.
Additional stocks of drugs and masks will be sent in the coming days.​

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

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1081213/jsp/northeast/story_10246454.jsp

 

[HenryN]

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

Assam steps up flu surveillance
13 Dec 2008, 0239 hrs IST, Naresh Mitra & Rishu Kalantry, TNN

GUWAHATI/TINSUKIA: The Assam health department has stepped up surveillance on human beings in the bird flu-hit districts. Health officials said
about 300,000 people were under strict surveillance in the six districts where avian influenza was reported. National Rural Health Mission (Assam) director Partha Gogoi said no case of human infection has been reported so far.
Gogoi added that at least 150 people, who were found suffering from fever in the affected districts, were actually suffering from common cold. "We are keeping a close watch on the health of these people at places where bird flu has been detected. So far, no human infection has been reported. We are also ready with medical teams and necessary drugs in case any human infection is found,'' Gogoi said.
Sufficient quantity of Tamiflu, the drug that is used to treat avian influenza, has been stocked in adequate quantity to treat people if they get infected with bird flu. Five medical teams, comprising medicine specialists, epidemiologists and microbiologists, are monitoring the situation in the affected districts.
On Friday, culling operations continued at a government farm in the city's Khanapara area, Jalah in Kamrup district's Bejera area and ward no 6 in Dibrugarh. Altogether 1,343 fowls were culled by Rapid Response Team personnel at the Central Chicks Rearing farm of the veterinary and animal husbandry department in the Khanapara area on Thursday. Bird flu was confirmed in the government farm after 30 birds died there a few days ago.
Hours before the culling operations started in Dibrugarh, a Central official arrived here on Friday to oversee the process. According to sources, observer Dipankar Biswas, regional officer of the central veterinary department's eastern region, will prepare a report on the culling process. Culling started at the shop of Biswajit Roy in the town's Ward No 6. On Wednesday, the first case of bird flu was detected in this shop. Culling will be getting over in three to four days.
"On the first day, five teams of four members each were pressed into action. Several birds were culled by the end of the day,'' said R Das, district veterinary officer (Dibrugarh).
"Culling started in Chiring Sapori of Ward Number 6 and will be carried out within a radius of three km,'' Das said. "It is a door-to-door operation and will take three-four days to cull all birds in the marked area. A map has been prepared to facilitate members of the culling team. Members of these teams have also received the anti-virus injection to prevent any infection to them.''
"An estimated 40,000 birds, including ducks, are likely to be culled,'' Das added. Earlier, the Dibrugarh district administration had prohibited sale and import of poultry and poultry products to the district after detection of bird flu. A similar ban has been imposed in Tinsukia district.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Assam_steps_up_flu_surveillance/articleshow/3830075.cms

 

[hawkeye]

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

Medical workers were going door-to-door to look for people with symptoms of avian influenza in northeast India Friday as the infection in birds spread further, officials said.

So far, no human cases of infection of the deadly H5N1 virus have been reported in the affected Assam state, but authorities stepped up a health drive after 150 people developed some symptoms of the infection.

"About 150 people were treated for fever and upper respiratory tract infections in bird flu-hit areas. We have put the patients in isolation," senior health official Parthajyoti Gogoi told AFP.

Bird flu was ruled out in all cases, the official said.

The virus has spread in the past two weeks across six Assam districts, where an estimated 300,000 people live in the affected areas.

Health scare in Indian state as bird flu spreads


More than 250,000 poultry have been slaughtered so far and an estimated 150,000 more have been ordered to be killed.

The government was "worried" about the infection spreading to humans, as authorities may not be able to cope, local health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

The sale of poultry and poultry products has been banned in most parts of the state.

India reported its worst outbreak of bird flu early this year in the eastern state of West Bengal.

The WHO says the deadly H5N1 strain has killed nearly 250 people, mostly in Southeast Asia, since 2003.

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

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

Bird flu out of control in Assam

UNI

Saturday, December 13th, 2008


GUWAHATI: Bird flu is out of control in Assam and the state has sent an urgent SOS to the Centre for help in terms of finance, technology and manpower to stop further spread of almost pandemic avian flu putting human beings to high risk of acquiring the virus.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi late on Friday night summoned an emergency meeting of his crack team of bureaucrats and reviewed the whole situation as almost the entire Brahmaputra valley was in the grip of the avian flu.

?It is getting very serious. We have gone all out but the way it was spreading, it will be very difficult to manage,? the Chief Minister said to his top bureaucrats, who were summoned to his residence to formulate a combat strategy.

Union Agriculture Secretary J Gopalkumaran has flown in to oversee the culling operation as the state machinery was racing against time to fight the disease.

More than 2.5 lakh chickens were already culled but it was decided at the meeting to cull the entire bird stock of the Brahmaputra valley to get rid of the crisis as the H5N1 virus was notorious to spread under 20 degrees Centigrade.

?With temperature continuing to be lower for the month or so, it has become more important to see that bird flu is stopped now? said state Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma, who also attended the crucial meeting.

The possibility of human infection in any of the North East states could also not be ruled out as the bird flu virus was reportedly brought in by migratory birds, which seek home all over the region.

The government had proved ill-equipped to check its further spread and is now alarmed at any possibility of human infection, with Dr Sharma admitting, ?If it transmits to human beings, we don't have infrastructure to meet the crisis.?

So far more than 250 patients were treated for upper respiratory infection which has close symptoms like avian flu but fortunately none of them had been transmitted bird flu. Dr Sharma maintained that few patients could be treated but contamination would jump upwards fast and then the state would be faced with a great problem.

The Minister claimed that the state has stocked medicines for treating affected people but only in about 50 per cent cases, the patients respond to the medications.

As many as nine districts have been confirmed of the outbreak of bird flu, including Guwahati, with all other districts also highly exposed to the possibility of being affected.

?We are working hard but due to low temperature, it is spreading fast,? Veterinary department Director Dr A K Kotoky said.

The state has sought additional Rs three crore as compensation package to the owners of birds, which are to be culled.

Sale and export of poultry has already been banned, but imposition of ban was proving to be a problem due to low awareness level and casual attitude of consumers.

Price of red meat has skyrocketed as that of fish with fast-food business also severely hit.

?Local people are not cooperating with us and it will have a catastrophic effect, far more than any other calamity,? Mr Kotoky warned.

http://www.sakaaltimes.com/2008/12/13131303/Bird-flu-out-of-control-in-Ass.html

 

[Treyfish]

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

Dec 13, 2008
Bird flu scare in India

GUWAHATI (India) - INIDA rushed two more teams of bird flu experts to the northeastern state of Assam to step up surveillance after nearly 100 people showed signs of the virus, health officials said on Saturday.
Health workers have yet to confirm any human cases of H5N1, but they said patients in six districts were suffering from fever and respiratory infections, which are symptoms of the virus in humans.
'No human cases of H5N1 have been confirmed in the state. But we are on maximum alert,' Himanta Biswa Sarma, Assam's Health minister, said.
Three teams of federal medical experts, including epidemiologists and microbiologists, are keeping a close watch on humans in affected areas of the oil- and tea-producing state.
The medical teams brought supplies of equipment as a preventative measure in case the virus spreads to humans, including 10,000 Tamiflu capsules, 6,000 surgical masks and two ventilators.
'More medicines and equipment will reach here in the next two days to cope up with the situation,' Mr Sarma said.
Veterinary officials have slaughtered more than 300,000 chickens and ducks since late November, after the virus was detected in poultry last month in a village close to Guwahati, the region's main city.
More than 400 rapid response teams have been formed for culling operations in areas affected by the disease, which experts suspect was carried by migratory birds.
'By December 16, all culling operations will be completed,' said N. Gokul Ram, a top federal health official told reporters in Guwahati.
Police arrested six people in Guwahati on charges of smuggling more than 500 chickens out of the city, violating the ban on sale and transportation of the poultry products in the state.
Samples of dead chickens have been sent for testing in two more districts of Assam.
While no human cases have been reported in India, experts fear the H5N1 virus might mutate or combine with the highly contagious seasonal influenza virus and spark a pandemic that could kill millions of people. Since the virus resurfaced in Asia in 2003, it has killed more than 200 people in a dozen countries, the World Health Organisation says. -- REUTERS:tiphat:http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking+News/Asia/Story/STIStory_313945.html