India - Bird Flu in Poultry/Animals Jan 13 - Jan 20

HenryN · Jan 17, 2008

Re: India sounds bird flu alert after chicken deaths; H5N1 confirmed

Re: India sounds bird flu alert after chicken deaths; H5N1 confirmed

AVIAN INFLUENZA (14): INDIA (WEST BENGAL)
*******************************************
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 17 Jan 2008
Source: NDTV Com [edited]
<http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080038759>

The dreaded bird flu has spread to new areas of Birbhum and
Murshidabad districts of West Bengal, even as culling of the birds in
places affected by the disease continued at a slow pace.

An alert was sounded in neighbouring Bihar and Assam.

Amid the alarm bells, the Centre asked the West Bengal government to
take immediate corrective steps to stop the spread of the disease.

"We have asked the West Bengal government to take corrective action
in every city and village," Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar told
reporters in Delhi.

The minister claimed that there was no major impact on the market.
The Health Ministry asked the state to adopt quarantine measures to
prevent transport of people, animals and birds from the bird-flu-hit
areas of Birbhum and south Dinajpur.

The fallout was felt in neighbouring Bhutan, which banned import of
poultry and poultry products from India for an indefinite period. The
ban came into effect on Wednesday [16 Jan 2008].

Bangladesh has been identified as the source of the outbreak of bird
flu in south Dinajpur, one of the 2 affected districts in West
Bengal, a senior Animal Husbandry official said.

"The germs were brought by winds blowing from Bangladesh," Assistant
Commissioner of the Central Animal Husbandry department Sujit Dutta
said in Balurghat, the headquarters of south Dinajpur [HPAI virus
introduction by winds, though not impossible, seems rather remote;
more likely, the virus might have spread by infected animals or
contaminated humans, utensils or animal feed. Such breaches of
biosecurity call for enhanced control measures. - Mod.AS].

Dutta said that the Centre is constantly monitoring the situation in
the district.

The BSF guarding the Indo-Bangla border in the district has been
alerted to ensure that no poultry products could enter from
Bangladesh, Inspector General of Police (North Bengal) R J S Nalwa said.

The administration of Siliguri subdivision of Darjeeling district has
decided to immediately stop import of chickens, chicks and eggs to
Siliguri from outside and continue checks for sick birds, SDO Smita
Pandey said.

Culling operations continue for the 2nd day on Thursday [17 Jan 2008]
in Bengal. Close to 9000 birds were culled on Wednesday [16 Jan 2008]
by the Rapid Response Teams in the core districts of Birbhum and Dinajpur.

The impact of the bird flu scare has spread far beyond the state
capital Kolkata. They have a target of culling 3.5 lakh [350 000]
birds in the next 10 days.

Chicken has been taken off the menu on all flights leaving Kolkata.
The capital is on guard, with the government doing whatever it can to
make sure there is no spread of infection, but Chief Minister Sheila
Dikshit has said there is no need to panic.

Ghazipur Mandi in East Delhi is the largest wholesale poultry market
in the city. And with the bird flu scare in the air, efforts are on
to make sure there is no infection here. Five veterinary experts have
been put on duty to certify all chicken as fit for sale.

The government claims to be taking all precautionary steps to prevent
the virus from entering Delhi and that they are being supported by
traders and shopkeepers who suffered severe losses 2 years back when
the bird flu scare hit the capital.

''As a precaution, we have got the powders and spray for the
cullination of chicken so that it is not used by anyone. This all is
being done in the supervision of our doctors. You can see, we are
already on the site. We will help people in any which way,'' said
Babu Khan Salmani, Health Official, Delhi Government.

The government has issued a set of do's and don'ts to shopkeepers
selling poultry products and also warned of surprise checks.

[Byline: Deepti Sachdeva]

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall

[On 15 Jan 2008, India submitted to the OIE an official "immediate
notification" on the outbreaks. See
<http://www.oie.int/wahid-prod/public.php?page=single_report&pop=1&reportid=6678>.
- Mod.AS]

[see also:
Avian influenza (11): India (West Bengal) 20080115.0193
2007
----
Avian influenza, human (117): India (Manipur), NOT 20070804.2530
Avian influenza, human (115): India (Manipur), susp., RFI 20070801.2487
Avian influenza (133): India (Manipur): conf., OIE 20070726.2409
Avian influenza (131): India (Manipur), RFI 20070718.2303
Avian influenza (87): Nigeria, India (RFI), Pakistan 20070526.1680
vian influenza (80): India (West Bengal), susp 20070508.1485
Avian influenza (58): Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia 20070322.1008
Avian influenza, human (168): Indonesia, Greece (ex India), susp 20061020.3017
2006
----
Avian influenza, human, worldwide (54): China, India 20060427.1228
Avian influenza, human, worldwide (53): India, susp 20060426.1210
Avian influenza - worldwide (78): Germany, P.A., India 20060405.1018
Avian influenza, human - worldwide (13): India, Malaysia, Nigeria 20060222.0575
Avian influenza, human - worldwide (12): Egypt, India 20060221.0566
Avian influenza - worldwide (26): Egypt, India, OIE 20060220.0562
2005
----
Avian influenza, H5N1, 2002 - India (Tamil Nadu): RFI 20050513.1312]
..................................................arn/msp/dk

HenryN · Jan 17, 2008

Re: India sounds bird flu alert after chicken deaths; H5N1 confirmed

Re: India sounds bird flu alert after chicken deaths; H5N1 confirmed

niman said:
AVIAN INFLUENZA (14): INDIA (WEST BENGAL)
*******************************************
"The germs were brought by winds blowing from Bangladesh," Assistant
Commissioner of the Central Animal Husbandry department Sujit Dutta
said in Balurghat, the headquarters of south Dinajpur [HPAI virus
introduction by winds, though not impossible, seems rather remote;
more likely, the virus might have spread by infected animals or
contaminated humans, utensils or animal feed. Such breaches of
biosecurity call for enhanced control measures. - Mod.AS].

Wings work.

AlaskaDenise · Jan 17, 2008

Re: India sounds bird flu alert after chicken deaths; H5N1 confirmed

Re: India sounds bird flu alert after chicken deaths; H5N1 confirmed

And blowing winds are a breach of biosecurity. !

.

Gert van der Hoek · Jan 18, 2008

Re: India sounds bird flu alert after chicken deaths; H5N1 confirmed

Re: India sounds bird flu alert after chicken deaths; H5N1 confirmed

AlaskaDenise said:
from post #113:

While those crematoriums are "electric", given the Indian tradition of body disposal by vultures, IF those bodies were exposed to crows prior to cremation........those may have been human cases.

.

Crows tend to roam around, visit places they know they can find food.

If dead crows are found somewhere, it could mean the ate something elsewhere.

If the crows die at places where people come, they can be more easily found and/or they get more attention? May be more dead crows on other places, and no one bothers or not found?

AlaskaDenise · Jan 18, 2008

Re: India sounds bird flu alert after chicken deaths; H5N1 confirmed

Re: India sounds bird flu alert after chicken deaths; H5N1 confirmed

We have lots of crows and Ravens here. They tend to congregate near restaurant garbage bins, various food producers, and dying large wild animals. Most that I've seen tend to consume their food at or near where it's found.

BTW - the Raven is a revered bird in native culture. They are one smart bird.

.

HenryN · Jan 18, 2008

Re: India sounds bird flu alert after chicken deaths; H5N1 confirmed

Re: India sounds bird flu alert after chicken deaths; H5N1 confirmed

Kolkata: Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today described the bird flu outbreak in the state as "alarming", even as panic gripped Kolkata following the death of some birds in the city.

Amid reports of slow pace of culling operations in Birbhum and South Dinajpur districts, the chief minister said the state government had set a target of culling four lakh poultry in the affected areas.

The Rampurhat sub-division of Birbhum district was the worst affected, followed by Balurghat in West Dinajpur district, he said.

Bhattacharjee said it had been decided that poultry in the 5-10 km radius of the affected areas would be culled and the process would be completed within seven days.

Dead birds --- crows and owls --- were found in Kolkata's southern and eastern parts today causing fresh fears as a civic team moved around the metropolis to collect bird carcasses.

"We will tell the state health department to assess whether the deaths are unusual," a Kolkata civic department official said. Shopkeepers had downed the shutters yesterday following reports of death of caged birds.

http://www.mid-day.com/web/guest/news/national/article?_EXT_5_articleId=915446&_EXT_5_groupId=14

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HenryN · Jan 18, 2008

Re: India sounds bird flu alert after chicken deaths; H5N1 confirmed

Re: India sounds bird flu alert after chicken deaths; H5N1 confirmed

Bird flu outbreak alarming: West Bengal CM

CNN-IBN

Published on Fri, Jan 18, 2008 at 16:28 in [URL="http://www.ibnlive.com/nation/"]Nation[/URL] section

Tags: Bird Flu, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee , Kolkata

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TAKING A STEP: Bhattacharjee said it would take a week for culling operations to end. <SCRIPT type=text/javascript></SCRIPT><SCRIPT src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" type=text/javascript></SCRIPT>


Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has admitted that the bird flu situation in the state is alarming and said that the compensation has not reached the people whose chickens were culled.

"It is alarming but not yet a reason to panic," Bhattacharjee said.

"We not started giving them compensation. So they are anxious whether they will at all get the compensation. But as I have already told you that we have sanctioned Rs 3 crore. A minister is going there and he himself will hand over the check," he added.

After an emergency meeting in Kolkata on Friday, Bhattacharjee said it would take a week for culling operations to end.

He said no case of human infection had been reported yet. The CM said the government would start culling in any area that reported chicken deaths.

The Union Health Ministry has already admitted that there is a lack of awareness about the virus in West Bengal. It has asked for more warnings to be put out in print, on TV and radio.

Even World Health Organisation has expressed concern over the fast-spreading bird flu virus and demanded stringent action.

Poultry is being culled in Birbhum and South Dinajpur districts over the last two days to control the spread of the virus.

Bird flu has already spread to a few more districts of the state after it was reported from the districts of Birbhum and South Dinajpur.

But it is tough to convince people on the ground that culling needs to be done and that too quickly.

After two days of culling operations in Birbhum, the toughest job for health officials is convincing locals that they have to let the birds be killed to prevent bird flu from spreading.

http://www.ibnlive.com/news/bird-flu-outbreak-alarming-west-bengal-cm/56831-3.html

AlaskaDenise · Jan 18, 2008

Re: India sounds bird flu alert after chicken deaths; H5N1 confirmed

Re: India sounds bird flu alert after chicken deaths; H5N1 confirmed

Bengal To Step Up Culling To Combat Bird Flu (Lead)

Friday 18th of January 2008
West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya Friday said the state government would slaughter all poultry birds in areas reporting fresh cases of avian flu even before laboratories confirm the H5N1 strain, after the World Health Organization (WHO) said the current outbreak was the most serious in the country yet.

'So far we have been able to kill 40,000 birds. In the next seven days we will kill all birds (an estimated 400,000) by increasing the number of health and animal resource development (ARD) workers,' Bhattacharya told reporters here.

'Our worst affected areas are Rampurhat subdivision in Birbhum district and Balurghat in South Dinajpur, where deaths occurred in government farms.

'But there are reports from Khargram and Baroa in Murshidabad besides Nadia and Burdwan. So we have decided to kill all birds in the new areas even before confirmation from the laboratories,' Bhattacharya said.

'Wherever we will hear of new infections, we will kill birds. There are at the moment sixty teams comprising five workers each. We will increase the manpower,' he said at state secretariat Writers' Building.

There were reports of fresh bird flu cases in West Bengal Friday as the culling operation proceeded at a sluggish pace at best and WHO warned the outbreak was the worst seen in the country.

Adding to the panic were reports of crows falling dead in Murshidabad district where the avian flu is feared to have spread.

Three days after bird flu was confirmed in the state, the chief minister held an emergency meeting Friday to discuss the situation. Central health ministry officials were also present at the meeting.

Meanwhile, according to reports from districts, the culling operation was ham handed with blood soaked gunny bags stuffed with dead chicken found in drains in Rampurhat area of Birbhum.

Members of the Rapid Response Teams carrying out the culling had allegedly left the bags behind.

As panic about the bird flu spread, Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) officials toured the city's markets and assured people that the chicken being sold was absolutely safe for consumption.

'We have found nothing negative. They are absolutely safe,' KMC chief medical officer Debdwaipayan Chatterjee said.

The H5N1 virus causes a type of influenza in birds that is highly contagious and can be deadly. It does not usually infect people unless they come in close contact with infected birds or contaminated surfaces.

.

HenryN · Jan 18, 2008

Re: India sounds bird flu alert after chicken deaths; H5N1 confirmed

Re: India sounds bird flu alert after chicken deaths; H5N1 confirmed

Panic in Ludhiana over bird flu

January 18th, 2008 - 8:11 pm ICT by admin 
Kolkata /Ludhiana, Jan 18 (ANI): The bird flu outbreak in West Bengal has hit [COLOR=#2153aa! important][FONT=verdana, arial, sans-serif][COLOR=#2153aa! important][FONT=verdana, arial, sans-serif]poultry[/FONT][/FONT][/COLOR][/COLOR] traders in the northern parts of the country, and eggs and broiler chicken are being sold at throwaway prices.
The fear of the humans getting infected by the avian influenza has pushed down the sales of poultry products in Punjab.
The poultry owners are forced to sell eggs at extremely low prices. However, this has increased the demand for chicken.
?The prices of broiler have fallen to Rs 20 per kilogram for the last three to four days and due to the rumours spread by traders. However, Punjab is a very safe area in context of bird flu. But due to rumours the poultry farming is getting affected,? said Gurudev Singh, a poultry farm owner.
Putting to rest the rumours, officials said Punjab doesn?t need to be scared of the disease because of the organised poultry operations in the State.
The birds are given proper vaccination at regular intervals and in case of doubt, samples are sent to laboratories to check any outbreak of the [COLOR=#2153aa! important][FONT=verdana, arial, sans-serif][COLOR=#2153aa! important][FONT=verdana, arial, sans-serif]virus[/FONT][/FONT][/COLOR][/COLOR], officials said.
Meanwhile, panic has gripped poultry owners in West Bengal as they incur huge losses due to culling of thousands of poultry to contain the spread of bird flu.
Poultry owners in Margram village say their businesses have been severely hit due to the disease.
?All our poultry farms are closed. We are not getting any orders from the markets. We used to earn a lot of money by doing this business, but now that earning has stopped. Poultry farms are not running anymore. My whole earning was completely dependant on the poultry farms,? said Suchitra Ghosh, a poultry owner.
Ghosh added that though the government has announced compensation package for the affected poultry owners, it is not enough to cover their losses.
The village poultry owners estimate their losses to be about Rs. four million.
Many poor villagers foresee an uncertain future if the disease spreads.
?We are feeling scared. If the disease spreads to our area, we would be hit hard,? said Soumitra Mondal, another poultry owner.
Meanwhile, the Border [COLOR=#2153aa! important][FONT=verdana, arial, sans-serif][COLOR=#2153aa! important][FONT=verdana, arial, sans-serif]Security[/FONT][/FONT][/COLOR][/COLOR] Force has alerted its units in all border districts like South and North 24 Parganas, Maldah and Murshidabad, to keep a strict vigil on the people crossing from Bangladesh and all their goods and bags are being checked meticulously.
West Bengal has sealed a stretch of its border with Bangladesh. Bangladesh has been fighting to contain the spread of bird flu since March last year.
This is the fourth outbreak of the H5N1 strain in Indian poultry since 2006. (ANI)

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/india-news/panic-in-ludhiana-over-bird-flu_10013387.html

HenryN · Jan 18, 2008

Re: India sounds bird flu alert after chicken deaths; H5N1 confirmed

Re: India sounds bird flu alert after chicken deaths; H5N1 confirmed

Commentary at

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/01180802/H5N1_Kolkata.html

hawkeye · Jan 18, 2008

Re: India sounds bird flu alert after chicken deaths; H5N1 confirmed

Re: India sounds bird flu alert after chicken deaths; H5N1 confirmed

Bird flu: Situation alarming, says Buddhadeb

Posted at Friday, 18 January 2008 17:01 IST

Kolkata, Jan 18: The West Bengal Chief Minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, on Friday described the bird flu outbreak in the state as "alarming", even as panic gripped Kolkata following death of some birds in the city.

Amid reports of slow pace of culling operations in Birbhum and South Dinajpur districts, the Chief Minister said the state government had set a target of culling four lakh poultry in the affected areas. The Rampurhat sub-division of Birbhum district was the worst affected, followed by Balurghat in West Dinajpur district, he said.

Bhattacharjee said it had been decided that poultry in the 5-10 km radius of the affected areas would be culled and the process would be completed within seven days. Dead birds -- crows and owls -- were found in Kolkata's southern and eastern parts on Friday causing fresh fears as a civic team moved around the metropolis to collect bird carcasses.

"We will tell the state health department to assess whether the deaths are unusual," a Kolkata civic department official said. Shopkeepers had downed the shutters on Thursday following reports of death of caged birds.

"We will have to kill four lakh birds in the affected districts. We have decided to increase the strength of the culling teams," Bhattacharjee said here after a meeting with central Livestock Commissioner, S K Banerjee, State Animal Resources Development Minister, Anisur Rehman, and Health Minister, S K Mishra.

Isolation wards have been kept ready in all sub-divisional hospitals for treating the affected. Medical college hospitals of Burdwan, Bankura and East Midnapore districts have also been put on alert, Bhattacharjee said.

The Chief Minister said the state finance department has allotted Rs 3 crore as compensation to poultry owners, who would, however, not be allowed to do business in the next three months.

As the state government rushed over 60 teams of animal husbandry workers to the affected areas to cull the birds, medical teams too fanned out to find out whether there was any infection in humans.

Confirming that bird flu has spread to Murshidabad district, Animal Resources Development Minister, Anisur Rahman, said the administration was taking adequate precautions.

Lack of awareness among bird owners and villagers had been hampering culling operations in most of the affected areas and a campaign has been launched to convince villagers that the government will pay them compensation.

An alert has been sounded along the Indo-Bangla border at Bongaon and Petrapole areas, where the BSF and the State government personnel were spraying disinfectants in vehicles entering the country from Bangladesh.

Gert van der Hoek · Jan 18, 2008

Re: India sounds bird flu alert after chicken deaths; H5N1 confirmed

Re: India sounds bird flu alert after chicken deaths; H5N1 confirmed

Bird deaths reported from new areas in WB

Kolkata Jan 18: Bird deaths in large numbers were reported from fresh areas in three districts in West Bengal as thousands of chickens were culled for the third day on Friday to curb the spread of bird flu with Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee describing the situation as "very serious."

Burdwan, Bankura and Murshidabad districts, which were previously unaffected, reported deaths of thousands of chickens though bird flu was not confirmed there, reports from the districts said.

However, officials said samples of the dead birds were sent for testing at Kolkata and if needed would be sent to the High Security Diseases Hospital, Bhopal.

Asked by newsmen how alarming the situation was, the chief minister said it was "very serious".

"We will have to kill four lakh birds in the affected districts. For this, we have decided to increase the strength of the culling teams," he said.

There was some panic in Kolkata when dead crows and owls were found in the southern and eastern parts of the metropolis. Bhattacharjee however described the situation as normal and said there was no cause for people to be worried.

"There is no report of any outbreak of the disease in poultries in Kolkata. However, an alert has been sounded in the city," he said.

Ten thousand chickens have died in Murshidabad since Tuesday while in Burdwan 2000 chickens perished in the last seven days. In Bankura, 400 sick birds were culled on Thursday.

There was no report of people being affected, the chief minister said, but as a precautionary measure, isolation wards were kept ready in all sub-divisional hospitals and medical college hospitals of Burdwan, Bankura and East Midnapore districts alerted. (Agencies)

Published: Friday, January 18, 2008

http://www.chennaionline.com/colnew...77B-47AA-9E4A-25C2B00752A8}&CATEGORYNAME=NATL

HenryN · Jan 18, 2008

Re: India sounds bird flu alert after chicken deaths; H5N1 confirmed

Re: India sounds bird flu alert after chicken deaths; H5N1 confirmed

Bird flu outbreak termed 'very serious'

Published: Jan. 18, 2008 at 11:42 AM

KOLKATA, India, Jan. 18 (UPI) -- The chief minister of India's West Bengal state, where a bird flu outbreak reportedly is spreading, Friday called the disease situation "very serious."

The description by Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee came as more areas in the eastern state reported chickens dying, the Press Trust of India said. The new areas included Burdwan and Bankura districts.

There were reports of crows and owls dying in Kolkata but the chief minister said they were no cause for alarm, PTI said.

But in the avian flu-affected areas, which cover four districts, Bhattacharjee was quoted as saying, "We will have to kill (400,000) birds in the affected districts," where he said the situation is "very serious."

He said the culling process would be completed in a week.

In some villages, government officials said residents had been demanding cash instead of official compensation certificates for participating in the culling.

India has successfully controlled previous outbreaks of bird flu.

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2008/01/18/bird_flu_outbreak_termed_very_serious/3042/

HenryN · Jan 18, 2008

Re: India sounds bird flu alert after chicken deaths; H5N1 confirmed

Re: India sounds bird flu alert after chicken deaths; H5N1 confirmed

Bird flu spreads to 3rd district in WB, culling continues

Kolkata/New Delhi (PTI): Bird flu spread to a third district in West Bengal while new areas in another three districts reported large-scale deaths of birds as Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Friday described the situation as "very serious."
Union Animal Husbandry Secretary Pradeep Kumar told reporters in New Delhi that bird samples from Murshidabad district have tested positive for bird flu on the basis of rapid tests and authorities are considering starting culling operations there.
In Birbhum and South Dinajpur, where the outbreak of bird flu was confirmed, culling continued for the third day today to curb the spread of the disease. The Centre confirmed that the samples from these two districts were the deadliest H5N1, which can mutate and infect Human Beings. Poultry deaths in these two districts and Murshidabad touched 85,000, officials said.
The districts of Burdwan, Bankura, Cooch Behar,Nadia and Purulia and 24 South Paragans reported several cases of bird deaths. But central officials said tests of samples in Purulia, Cooch Behar and Nadia proved negative for bird flu.
Asked by newsmen how alarming the situation was, Bhattacharya said it was "very serious".
"We will have to kill four lakh birds in the affected districts. For this, we have decided to increase the strength of the culling teams," he added.
There was some panic in Kolkata when dead crows and owls were found in the southern and eastern parts of the metropolis. Bhattacharjee however described the situation as normal and said there was no cause for people to be worried.
"There is no report of any outbreak of the disease in poultries in Kolkata. However, an alert was sounded in the city," he said. <HR color=#9b72cf noShade SIZE=1>http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000200801182172.htm

HenryN · Jan 18, 2008

Re: India sounds bird flu alert after chicken deaths; H5N1 confirmed

Re: India sounds bird flu alert after chicken deaths; H5N1 confirmed

AVIAN INFLUENZA (15): INDIA (WEST BENGAL), IRAN (MAZANDARAN)
************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>

In this update:
[1] India: (West Bengal)
[2] Iran: (Mazandaran), India: (West Bengal)

******
[1] India: (West Bengal)
Date: Thu 17 Jan 2008
Source: IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) News [edited]
<http://www.iribnews.ir/Full_en.asp?news_id=249540&n=30>

Health officials Thursday [17 Jan 2008] investigated new bird deaths
in eastern India to see whether bird flu was spreading to additional
areas despite a poultry cull aimed at curbing the disease, officials said.

Hundreds of bird deaths were reported in 4 new districts of West
Bengal state on Wednesday [16 Jan 2008] after an outbreak of bird flu
killed more than 54 000 birds in nearby Birbhum and Dinajpur
districts, said Anisur Rahman, state minister of animal husbandry.

Rahman said the symptoms in the new deaths, which all occurred in
areas close to each other, suggested they were not caused by bird
flu, but a virus locally known as Ranikhet -- a contagious and fatal
viral disease affecting all species of birds but with no record of
attacking humans.

The new areas under watch are in Nadia, Murshidabad, Burdwan, and
South 24 Parganas districts of West Bengal state, Rahman said.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall

[Ranikhet is an Indian vernacular name for New Castle disease, which
is also known as "pseudo fowl-plague" due to its clinical resemblance
to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI, known in the past as
"fowl plague"). See ProMED-mail 20060214.0492. - Mod. AS

West Bengal, in eastern India, can be located on the map at
<http://healthmap.org/promed?v=22.9,79.6,5>. - CopyEd.MJ]

******
[2] Iran: (Mazandaran), India: (West Bengal)
Date: Thu 17 Jan 2008
Source: CIDRAP (Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy) News [edited]
<http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/influenza/avianflu/news/jan1708birds.h
tml>

Officials in Iran have confirmed their country's 1st H5N1 avian
influenza outbreak in domestic birds, while authorities in eastern
India are working on a massive poultry cull amid worries about
possible new H5N1 outbreaks.

A report that Iran filed with the World Organization for Animal
Health (OIE) yesterday [16 Jan 2008] says the outbreak occurred in
Mazandaran, a northern province that fronts on the Caspian Sea.
Authorities destroyed a flock of 475 surviving free-range chickens
after 14 chickens died in an outbreak that began 10 Dec 2007, the report says.

The outbreak was detected through Iran's passive surveillance program
for avian flu, officials reported. Samples from the birds first
tested positive in the Iran Veterinary Organization's central
laboratory in December [2007], and an OIE reference lab in Padova,
Italy, confirmed the findings on 8 Jan 2008. The source of the
outbreak is under investigation, the report says.

Iran's only previous reported outbreak of H5N1 in birds occurred in
February 2006 and killed 153 wild swans in Gilan province, which
borders Mazandaran on the west, according to OIE records. The country
has reported no human cases.

In India, meanwhile, an official in West Bengal state voiced concern
that the virus may have spread to several other villages near one
where a poultry outbreak was confirmed on 15 Jan 2008, according to
an Agence France-Presse (AFP) report published today [17 Jan 2008].

"Reports have reached [us] that hens have started dropping dead in
several villages surrounding Margram," Anisur Rahman, the state's
animal resources minister, told AFP. "We are worried over the
situation. We have sought more help from the federal government."

In a 15 Jan 2008 report to the OIE, Indian officials said the virus
had killed more than 35 000 chickens on "small and marginal farms" in
3 villages in Birbhum district and 261 birds in a separate outbreak
in Dinajpur district. Both districts are in West Bengal. The report
said control measures would include destroying all poultry within
about 5 km (3 mi) of the outbreak sites. News reports have said that
about 400 000 birds would be destroyed.

An Associated Press (AP) report today [17 Jan 2008] quoted Rahman as
saying that hundreds of bird deaths were reported on 4 new districts
of West Bengal yesterday [16 Jan 2008] [see item 1 above]. But rather
than avian flu, he said the signs in those cases suggested a virus
locally known as Ranikhet, which affects all bird species but not
humans [see commentary].

The AP story put the number of birds killed by the H5N1 virus in
Birbhum and Dinajpur districts at 54 000.

The World Health Organization (WHO) expressed concern about the
Indian outbreaks today [17 Jan 2008], according to several news
reports. "More serious risk factors are associated with this current
outbreak than previously encountered, including that the affected
areas are more widespread and because of proximity to extended border
areas," the WHO was quoted as saying. The statement was carried by
AFP and by The Statesman, a West Bengal newspaper, among other
reports, but it was unclear which WHO official or office issued it.

Rahman said about 8000 birds were killed yesterday [16 Jan 2008], the
1st day of culling, but officials were facing some resistance from
bird owners, according to the AFP story.

West Bengal borders Bangladesh, which also has had recent avian flu
outbreaks. A Reuters report today [17 Jan 2008] said poultry culling
in Bangladesh was going smoothly after the detection of the virus in
3 more districts. Authorities reported 13 Jan 2008 that avian flu had
killed 500 chickens in the northeastern district of Moulivabazar.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

[The news from Iran, stating that the outbreak in Mazandaran had
started already almost 6 weeks ago -- on 10 Dec 2007 -- is rather
disturbing. During the period which elapsed until its finally
confirmed diagnosis, the virus might have spread to other holdings
within and even beyond the affected region, unless rigorous measures
undertaken.

Iran's official notification, submitted to the OIE on 16 Jan 2008,
includes the following epidemiological comments: "The event was
reported according to the Iranian passive surveillance programme in
place; a post-outbreak investigation to trace the source of the
infection is ongoing to detect the probable spread and circulation of
the virus. Active surveillance is ongoing."

Vaccination against HPAI is "prohibited" in Iran; India, on the other
hand , declared "No vaccination." not a prohibition. Iran submitted
its report one day after India.

Iran's notification, with a map, is available at
<http://www.oie.int/wahid-prod/public.php?page=single_report&pop=1&reportid=6685
>.

The 1st item above, derived from Iran's official broadcasting
service, refers only to the Indian situation though mentioning the
findings in Iran would have been expected. According to some media
sources, the Iranian authorities have prohibited the country's media
from covering the problem of avian flu in Iran. We cite this
information with reservation, since it may have been politically
tainted; its confirmation or otherwise, from local sources, will be
helpful. - Mod. AS]

[see also:
Avian influenza (14): India (West Bengal) 20080117.0216
Avian influenza (11): India (West Bengal) 20080115.0193
Avian influenza (10): UK (England), swan, Iran, susp., Viet Nam 20080113.0160
2007
----
Avian influenza, human (117): India (Manipur), NOT 20070804.2530
Avian influenza, human (115): India (Manipur), susp., RFI 20070801.2487
Avian influenza (133): India (Manipur): conf., OIE 20070726.2409
Avian influenza (131): India (Manipur), RFI 20070718.2303
Avian influenza (87): Nigeria, India (RFI), Pakistan 20070526.1680
Avian influenza (80): India (West Bengal), susp 20070508.1485
Avian influenza (58): Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia 20070322.1008
Avian influenza (50): Indonesia (cats), Afghanistan, Iran, S. Korea
20070308.0826
2006
----
Undiagnosed disease, avian - Iran: RFI 20061225.3606
Avian influenza, human (168): Indonesia, Greece (ex India), susp 20061020.3017
Avian influenza, human (75); Indonesia, Iran, WHO 20060527.1491
Avian influenza, human (72) - Indonesia, Iran 20060523.1455
Avian influenza, human (71): Iran, susp. 20060522.1447
Avian influenza, human, worldwide (54): China, India 20060427.1228
Avian influenza, human, worldwide (53): India, susp 20060426.1210
Avian influenza, human - worldwide (13): India, Malaysia, Nigeria 20060222.0575
Avian influenza, human - worldwide (12): Egypt, India 20060221.0566
Avian influenza - Eurasia (28): Syria, Iran, planning 20060121.0203
Avian influenza - worldwide (78): Germany, P.A., India 20060405.1018
Avian influenza - worldwide (26): Egypt, India, OIE 20060220.0562
Newcastle disease, poultry - India (Maharashtra) 20060214.0492
2005
----
Avian influenza, H5N1, 2002 - India (Tamil Nadu): RFI 20050513.1312]
...................................arn/mj/dk

HenryN · Jan 18, 2008

Re: India sounds bird flu alert after chicken deaths; H5N1 confirmed

Re: India sounds bird flu alert after chicken deaths; H5N1 confirmed

Commentary at

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/01180803/H5N1_Calcutta_Alert.html

AlaskaDenise · Jan 18, 2008

Re: India sounds bird flu alert after chicken deaths; H5N1 confirmed

Re: India sounds bird flu alert after chicken deaths; H5N1 confirmed

niman said:
Commentary at

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/01180803/H5N1_Calcutta_Alert.html

Commentary http://www.recombinomics.com/feed.xml

Calcutta Issues H5N1 Alert

Recombinomics Commentary 14:56
January 18, 2008

There was some panic in Kolkata when dead crows and owls were found in the southern and eastern parts of the metropolis. Bhattacharjee however described the situation as normal and said there was no cause for people to be worried.

"There is no report of any outbreak of the disease in poultries in Kolkata. However, an alert has been sounded in the city," he said.

Ten thousand chickens have died in Murshidabad since Tuesday while in Burdwan 2000 chickens perished in the last seven days. In Bankura, 400 sick birds were culled on Thursday.

The above comments describe more bird deaths in districts south of the large confirmed outbreak in Birbhum (see satellite map). Media reports indicate that chickens in Murshidabad have tested H5N1 positive in rapid test. Thus, each province that had wild bird and poultry deaths has tested positive for H5N1. Burdwan and Bankura have not yet tested positive, but are just northwest of Calcutta.

Although large poultry deaths have not been reported in Calcutta, the dead crows and hawks raise concerns that H5N1 has flown into the city. These arrivals do not have to result in dead poultry initially. Many countries in Europe have reported H5N1 in wild birds prior to detection in domestic poultry.

In Calcutta, although officials are downplaying the deaths of the wild bird, there has been an alert issued. H5N1 has been confirmed in southern Bangladesh, including Jessore, which is adjacent to the West Bengal border, about 75 miles from Calcutta.

Updates on wild bird and dead poultry testing in the southern districts would be useful.

.

AlaskaDenise · Jan 18, 2008

Re: India sounds bird flu alert after chicken deaths; H5N1 confirmed

Re: India sounds bird flu alert after chicken deaths; H5N1 confirmed

niman said:
Commentary at

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/01180802/H5N1_Kolkata.html

Commentary http://www.recombinomics.com/feed.xml

Dead Wild Birds in Kolkata Raise H5N1 Concerns in India

Recombinomics Commentary 14:56
January 18, 2008

Dead birds --- crows and owls --- were found in Kolkata's southern and eastern parts today causing fresh fears as a civic team moved around the metropolis to collect bird carcasses.

The above comments on dead wild birds in Calcutta are cause for concern. Large numbers of dead crows were seen in initial video reports of H5N1 in Birbhum and media reports noted that owls and pigeons also died. Dead poultry in adjacent Murshidabad were also associated with dead wild birds, including crows and hawks, which were also linked to outbreaks in South Dinajpur.

Similarly, excess poultry deaths have been noted in multiple districts, including South 24 Parganas, which is south of Kolkata (see satellite map). Therefore, the reports of dead crows and owls in Kolkata raise concerns that H5N1 has spread along the length of the West Bengal / Bangladesh border.

Bangladesh has been reporting daily outbreaks of H5N1 including locations in southern Bangladesh, supporting extensive spread of H5N1 in both countries.

.

HenryN · Jan 18, 2008

Re: India sounds bird flu alert after chicken deaths; H5N1 confirmed

Re: India sounds bird flu alert after chicken deaths; H5N1 confirmed

Directive to prepare against bird flu

NEW DELHI: Delhi Health and Family Welfare Minister Yoganand Shastri met senior health officials from various agencies on Friday and directed them to be prepared against bird flu.
Stating that there was no cause for worry, Dr. Shastri issued orders to all large Delhi Government hospitals to ready themselves for any eventuality.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/01/19/stories/2008011956700400.htm

HenryN · Jan 18, 2008

Re: India sounds bird flu alert after chicken deaths; H5N1 confirmed

Re: India sounds bird flu alert after chicken deaths; H5N1 confirmed

Bird flu spreads to new areas

Special Correspondent

<CENTER>[SIZE=-2]Photo: AP [/SIZE]

TACKLING A THREAT: Health officials on a culling mission at Namopara Bazaar village in West Bengal on Friday to curb the spread of bird flu. ? </CENTER>
KOLKATA: With reports of deaths of more poultry birds from different regions pouring in, the West Bengal government on Friday called for intensifying culling operations.
Besides parts of Birbhum and South Dinajpur districts it has been confirmed that the disease has spread to two blocks of adjoining Murshidabad district, where more than 10,000 chickens have died over the past four days. Unusual mortality rates among poultry birds have also been reported from Burdwan, Nadia and Bankura districts.
Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, who described the situation as ?alarming,? said there was ?no alternative? but to step up culling operations, which began on Wednesday.
There was, however, no report of any humans having been infected by the virus, he said.
?The numbers of those engaged in culling work has to be increased substantially ? we will have to kill nearly four lakh birds in the affected areas at the earliest,? Mr. Bhattacharjee said.
Anxiety in Kolkata

Nearly 40,000 birds were culled in a single day but there was need to hasten the process.
A deadline of a week had been set for the culling operations to be completed.
There was anxiety in the city and its suburbs following reports of the deaths of crows and owls in certain areas.
It was later established that the deaths were normal and there was no cause for panic. Kolkata is in a state of general alert like the rest of the State. There are no reports of any deaths in the city?s poultries either.
The Finance Department has allocated Rs. 3 crore for compensation to those having to give away their chickens and sell poultry products in the areas affected by avian flu.
The Chief Minister reviewed the situation with Central Livestock Commissioner S.K. Banerjee, Ministers and officials of the State?s Animal Resources Development and Health departments.
Mr. Bhattacharjee said the authorities would call for the culling of birds without waiting for a confirmation of the presence of the disease from the High Risk Animal Diseases Laboratory, Bhopal.
Sixty teams comprising five members each fanned out to the affected areas for the operations but there was a need for more such teams.
Medical workers had also been sent to these areas to check whether any human being has been affected.
Even as there were reports quoting the World Health Organisation authorities as saying that the outbreak in parts of the State could possibly be one of the worst H5N1 epidemics ever, the United States Consul-General in the city, H.V. Jardine, said his country could consider any request for help to tackle the situation if the State government approached it through the U.S. embassy.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/01/19/stories/2008011957070100.htm

India - Bird Flu in Poultry/Animals Jan 13 - Jan 20

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