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

Siam · 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

Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2008 4:27 pm Post subject:

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Dead Crows Raise H5Nl Worry
Friday, January 18, 2008 - FreeMarketNews.com
http://www.freemarketnews.com/WorldNews.asp?nid=53926

Siam Kolkata population is estimated at 5 million in the city and 13 million in the greater area

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 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.
_________________

Treyfish · 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: Matter of grave concern, says Buddha</ARTTITLE>
19 Jan 2008, 0237 hrs IST

,

TNNKOLKATA: Admitting that the bird flu situation in the state is a matter of grave concern, West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Friday asked all district and sub-divisional hospitals to set up special isolation wards to monitor patients coming with symptoms of avian flu.

"Though there is no report of bird flu spreading among human beings, we don't want to take any chance. Our health teams have spread out to villages and are surveying for any flu symptoms," Buddhadeb said after a high-level meeting in Kolkata on Friday. Union livestock commissioner S Bandyopadhyay, state health minister Surya Kanta Misra and animal resource development minister Anisur Rahaman also attended the meeting.

The Rampurhat sub-division of Birbhum district is the worst affected. While the government has released Rs 3 crore for compensation for the culling operation, Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar has promised that the central share will be released soon, the CM said. Buddhadeb also asked health officials to speed up the culling of birds and set a target ? four lakh birds to be culled within a week ? prompting the health department to form 60 teams of five members each for culling.

A total of 40,000 birds has been culled so far. It was decided at the meeting that all birds within a radius of five-10 kms of the affected areas would be killed, the CM said, adding that cops had been asked to ensure that trading in poultry products in the affected areas were completely stopped. :tiphat: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...e_concern_says_Buddha/articleshow/2712597.cms

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Treyfish · 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

Buddha pill for poultry owners
Sumanta Ray Chaudhuri
Saturday, January 19, 2008 03:36 IST

KOLKATA: West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee virtually endorsed on Friday the World Health Organisation?s assessment that the outbreak of bird flu in the state was the worst seen in the country.
Bhattacharjee said the situation was ?very alarming? in some districts. Adding to the panic were reports of crows and owls being found dead in the southern and eastern parts of Kolkata early on Friday.
However, in a significant move expected to speed up the culling process, Bhattacharjee on Friday announced a total package of Rs 3 crore for poultry owners.
Poultry farmers had held up the killing of infected chicken across the state demanding adequate compensation first. The compensation will be provided on the condition that the owners will not run the same business for the next three months.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting with Union health ministry officials, the chief minister added that the state government had also set strict guidelines and deadlines for the culling. ?Our target is to cull 4,00,000 birds within seven days. This includes birds in affected areas as well those in a 10 km radius,? he added.
A civic team has been assigned to collect the bird carcasses found in Kolkata and examine reasons behind the deaths. There were also reports of deaths of caged birds in certain pockets of the city.
Meanwhile, state animal resources department minister Anisur Rahman confirmed that the flu has spread beyond Birbhum and South Dinajpur to Murshidabad as well. ?We have declared an alert in certain other districts like Burdwan, Bankura, East Midnapore and South 24 Parganas,? he said.
Officials have sent dead poultry from new areas in the worst hit Birbhum district and adjoining villages in Murshidabad district to confirm if these had been infected with the deadly H5N1 strain of the flu virus. The new areas are Khargram in Murshidabad and two blocks and Rampurhat municipality area of Birbhum.
The state government is also paying special attention to its borders with Bangladesh. It has roped in the Border Security Force (BSF) deputed there to help it control any further contamination. All vehicles passing through the borders are first disinfected by BSF personnel.
West Bengal is the fifth state in the country to be struck by the H5N1 strain of bird flu since the first outbreak in Maharashtra Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Manipur, in February 2006.:tiphat: http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1146103

Treyfish · 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

Wild birds pose problems
Pranesh Sarkar & Sabyasachi Roy
KOLKATA/RAMPURHAT, Jan. 18: Animal resources development department officials, who are conducting the culling of chickens in the bird flu-affected areas of Birbhum, are spending sleepless nights to find a way to cull wild birds.
The Birbhum district authorities issued an order to the block development officers concerned to cull all birds, including crows, owls and migratory, suspecting the birds could spread the virus. But officials seem clueless about how to catch and cull wild birds.
An official said: ?Culling of wild birds is also needed, especially after thousands of chickens died in Nanoor, which is far from Rampurhat. Wild birds can also carry the virus to other areas. But we don?t know how to catch them.?
Mr Manasa Hansda, sabhadhipati of Birbhum zilla parishad, said: ?We will hold a meeting with Central experts tomorrow to discuss how to cull wild birds. The state animal resources development minister, Mr Anisur Rahaman, will also be present at the meeting.?
Culling of migratory birds could hit a roadblock here as the residents of Chattaparul village in Mayureswar-I block is resisting the process.
Though culling has not started in the block, villagers say hundreds of migratory birds come to the village every year and they are unwilling to allow the authorities to kill them.
But Mr Hansda said: ?No such protest will be entertained. According to the guideline, all kinds of birds have to be culled to stop the spread of the deadly bird flu virus.? :tiphat: http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=1&theme=&usrsess=1&id=186569

Treyfish · 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

Warden Message

U.S. Consulate General
Kolkata, India
January 15, 2008
OUTBREAK OF AVIAN INFLUENZA IN WEST BENGAL

The Government of India?s Ministry of Health has confirmed localized outbreaks of Avian Influenza, H5N1 strain, in the Birbhum and South Dinajpur regions in the East Indian state of West Bengal. Birbhum is located approximately 200 miles north of Kolkata. South Dinajpur is located approximately 350 miles north of Kolkata. American citizens traveling in the region should take all necessary precautions. For details please refer to http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/health/health_1181.html. The outbreak has affected poultry but there are no reported human cases.
The U.S. Consulate General in Kolkata is located at 5/1 Ho Chi Minh Sarani, Kolkata, India 700071 and can be reached by telephone +91-33-3984-2400; fax +91-33-2282-2335. The Consulate's Internet home page address is http://kolkata.usconsulate.gov. For the latest security information, Americans living traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department of State's Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov where the current Worldwide Caution Announcements, Travel Warnings, and Public Announcements can be found. Up to date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States, or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
:tiphat: http://kolkata.usconsulate.gov/wm011508.html

Treyfish · 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 grips Delhi
Puneet Nicholas Yadav
Saturday, January 19, 2008 05:37 IST

NEW DELHI: The bird flu scare has spread far beyond the borders of West Bengal, to dinner tables in New Delhi, resulting in plummeting chicken prices.
Though the Delhi government has announced that there is no need to panic as the dreaded virus has not spread to the capital, at the same time it is not taking any chances. Veterinary experts and medical teams have been deployed at wholesale poultry markets.
However, these measures have not been able to convince buyers and chicken sales have been affected.
Sadiq Hasan, a meat seller at Delhi?s largest wholesale poultry market ? Ghazipur Mandi said, ?Prices of chicken have fallen as people have become apprehensive due to the bird flu in Bengal.
Wholesale prices have come down from Rs 55-60 per kg to Rs 35-40 per kg and we expect them to fall further. Even at these low prices, I find it very difficult to convince even my regular clients about the quality of the chicken.?
?All powders, sprays and medicines needed for culling of infected birds are being kept handy under the supervision of doctors. Also officials from the health department are trying to educate poultry sellers about the infection. Surprise checks will also be carried out at wholesale and retail poultry markets,? a senior health ministry official said.
Five veterinary experts have been put on duty at the Ghazipur Mandi and another three have been asked to conduct routine checks.
Most of the chicken in Delhi comes from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan. Health ministry officials say they have asked wholesale markets in these states to take all precautions.
y_puneet@dnaindia.net :tiphat: http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1146104

vinny · 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

is it just me or is H5N1 spreading more this winter than it did last year.........?

Treyfish · 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

Villagers consume birds than give them up: Reports

Sougata Mukhopadhyay / CNN-IBNIn Birbhum, the pace of the culling operations is not quick enough, and there are unconfirmed reports that bird flu may have spread to neighbouring districts. The main problem that the West Bengal government is facing is the slow momentum of the culling operations. That is because of the extreme lack of awareness. Villagers are not helping health officials reach these villages and cull the birds. There are reports of villagers smuggling these birds out of the block to relatives' houses. There are reports of them having consumed the birds rather than give them up. Another reason may be that they think the compensation is not enough. Bengal Chief Minister has called an emergency meeting.:tiphat: http://www.ibnlive.com/news/villagers-consume-birds-than-give-them-up-reports/56800-3.html

Treyfish · 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

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" bgColor=#000099 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top bgColor=#000099 height=40>Government of India
Ministry of Agriculture
Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

BIRD FLU - Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza

CONFIRMATION OF AVIAN INFLUENZA IN BIRBHUM DISTRICT AND DAKSHIN DINAJPUR DISTRICTS OF WEST BENGAL

III. WEEKLY UPDATE

Weekly Report on Notifiable Avian Influenza (H5 & H7) for week ending from 06-01-08 :tiphat:

http://dahd.nic.in/birdflue.htmhttp://dahd.nic.in/birdflue.htm

Treyfish · 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

<TABLE class=RedTableBorder style="HEIGHT: 483px" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR style="PADDING-LEFT: 10px" vAlign=top><TD class=articalTitle align=middle>Egg ban comes as a shock for most importers

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=430 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=dates id=hDate height=27>Published: Saturday, 19 January, 2008, 01:59 AM Doha Time</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR style="PADDING-RIGHT: 12px; PADDING-LEFT: 10px"><TD class=articalBody id=artical1 vAlign=top height=345>Staff Reporter
MOST importers of Indian eggs are keeping their fingers crossed following a ban on the poultry procurements from the country after reports of bird flu in the eastern state of West Bengal.
?Though no importer from any of the GCC States is procuring eggs from West Bengal, the ban has come as a rude shock to all of us,? said an official of a foodstuff importing firm.
The company imported at least 1mn eggs after the lifting of the earlier ban on Indian eggs sometime in the middle of last month. The official said a container of eggs is awaiting clearance at the customs and he was unsure if it could be marketed.
He felt that other importers should also be facing similar problems. Almost all importers are buying eggs from Namakkal and adjoining areas in Tamil Nadu's Salem district.
The importer said organisations representing Indian trade in Qatar should bring this to the attention of authorities concerned in the country.
He said already shortage was reported at retail outlets and the importers had no clue as to what to be done as the offices will reopen only tomorrow after the weekend. Some retailers have already doubled the prices in view of the shortage.
Another importer said though no word had been said about withdrawing eggs already arrived in the market, a number of retailers might refuse to sell Indian eggs. ?Even otherwise, eggs cost a little more in cold months compared to other period,? he said.
This time the impact was felt strongly when the earlier ban was in the force, added the importer.
Yet another wholesaler echoed similar concerns. ?If the ministry concerned doesn?t permit the import of the stocks that had already left Indian ports at the beginning of this year, we are sure to lose a considerable sum,? he said.
Retailers, he said, had nothing to lose as they would be reimbursed the whole money by their suppliers. ?However, things are wholly different for us. Whatever lost is lost and in the event of any further reports of outbreaks of bird flu in any of the exporting countries, the importers would be losing large amounts of money,? said the importer.:tiphat: </TD></TR><TR><TD>

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topi...=196598&version=1&template_id=36&parent_id=16

Treyfish · 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

Friday, January 18, 2008
Clinical checks of poultry before entering DelhiFrom correspondents in Delhi, India, 09:00 PM IST

In a precautionary measure against bird flu, Delhi Friday ordered 'clinical checks' of poultry before it is brought into the capital.
After reviewing Delhi's preparedness to face the bird flu threat, Delhi Health Minister Yoganand Shastri said: 'We are keeping strict vigilance on the 15 poultry farms in Delhi.
'The poultry brought to Delhi from the neighbouring states and each and every vehicle carrying poultry is being inspected,' the minister said.
He further said that it has been directed to allow entry and sales 'after required clinical checks'.
Shastri reviewed the situation with top officials of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) and the state department of animal husbandry.
He said the state animal husbandry department and health department are fully geared for any eventuality.
'The health department has already constituted a state rapid response team and nine district rapid response teams for the purpose,' he said.
He further directed that 'strict vigilance be continued' across the capital.
On Tuesday, India confirmed an outbreak of bird flu in two districts - Birbhum and south Dinajpur - of West Bengal. As of Friday, the state government also reported poultry deaths from Khargram and Baroa in Murshidabad besides Nadia and Burdwan.:tiphat: http://www.indiaenews.com/health/20080118/92463.htm

Treyfish · 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 scare: poultry sales drop in Uttar Pradesh

<SCRIPT type=text/javascript></SCRIPT><SCRIPT src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" type=text/javascript></SCRIPT>

http://www.indiaenews.com/business/20080118/92393/comments.htm

From correspondents in Uttar Pradesh, India, 03:00 PM IST

The outbreak of bird flu in West Bengal has hit poultry sales in Uttar Pradesh by as much as 20 percent.
The Uttar Pradesh Poultry Association said there has been a 20 percent fall in the sale of poultry across the state, which is among the biggest consumers of chicken and other poultry products.
While top officials were confident that the deadly virus had not invaded the state, an alert has been sounded to all district officials to keep a close vigil on the situation.
'We have directed all district magistrates to keep a watch and to ensure immediate preventive steps to control the disease in case of an outbreak', Prashant Kumar Misra, state chief secretary, told IANS Thursday.
'In case any unnatural death of a bird is reported, necessary samples would instantly be sent to the laboratory in Bhopal for confirmation of avian flu virus,' Misra said.
Bird sanctuaries that attract migratory birds during winter have been put on watch, he said.
'We have directed concerned officials of all the 13 bird sanctuaries in the state to ensure regular monitoring of unnatural bird deaths,' Eva Sharma, forest conservator, told IANS.
'Often the flu is passed on by migratory birds, so we need to be careful,' she added.
Usually, about 300,000 chicken and nearly 15 million eggs are consumed every day in Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state in India.:tiphat: http://www.indiaenews.com/india/20080118/92510.htm

Treyfish · 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

6 teams for surveillance against Bird Flu in Tiruchirapalli

Tiruchirapalli, Jan 18: The district administration has constituted six special teams to maintain strict surveillance on all poultry farms in the wake of the bird flu outbreak in West Bengal, according to District Revenue Officer and Collector (in-charge) A Nambirajan.
<SCRIPT type=text/javascript></SCRIPT><SCRIPT src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" type=text/javascript></SCRIPT>
He told newsperson here today that no case had, however, been detected so far in the district.

Mr Nambirajan said the special teams were conducting intensive checks at all the 16 poultry farms in the district. They would also monitor any unusual death of jungle birds.

The teams would also collect samples of the bird serum and droppings and forward them for testing regularly. Officials have insisted that these measures were only precautionary and there was little chance of the disease spreading to Tamil Nadu, he added.

He said there are 16 private poultry farms in the district and most of them were located in Thottiyam, Michaelnayakanpatti, Manachanallur and Konalai.

A district Task Force Committee, headed by the Collector was already functioning in the district to monitor the situation since the outbreak of the disease in India, a couple of years ago, Mr Nambirajan added.

He said six teams had been formed, one of them from the Animal Diseases Intelligence Unit while two others would be headed by the Assistant Directors of Animal Husbandry in Tiruchirapalli and Musiri.

Meanwhile, a report from neighbouring Namakkal district, which has one of the major centres for poultry in Tamil Nadu said the 'Namakkal Egg Zone' had remained untouched by the dreaded virus all these years, including the 2006 outbreak reported in Maharashtra.

According to Namakkal District Collector G Sundaramurthy, District Task Force Committees and 20 Rapid Response Teams had been set up for close monitoring. :tiphat: http://www.newkerala.com/one.php?action=fullnews&id=14314

Treyfish · 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 alert in Delhi

New Delhi, Jan 18: A bird flu alert was today sounded in the national capital with all vehicles carrying poultry from the neighbouring states being checked and the sale of chickens allowed only after the required clinical tests.Delhi Health Minister Yoganand Shastri held a meeting with officials of the state government, MCD, NDMC and NICD to review the state of preparedness in Delhi following the outbreak of bird flu in West Bengal.

''The Department of Animal Husbandry is keeping a strict watch on the 15 poultry farms in the capital...it is fully geared to take on any eventuality through a rapid response team,'' he said.

Dr Shastri said a state rapid response team and nine district rapid response teams had already been constituted.

The minister directed the officials to spread awareness among the public about the disease.

The officials were directed to ensure that strict vigilance continued to be maintained as per guidelines of the Delhi government in this regard. :tiphat: http://www.newkerala.com/one.php?action=fullnews&id=14324

Treyfish · 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: Assam on tight vigil
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD height=5></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>K Anurag in Guwahati January 18, 2008 12:06 IST

Assam has instructed its bordering districts to keep a tight vigil and not to allow poultry products from the neighbouring West Bengal, where an outbreak of avian influenza has been reported.
Assam veterinary and animal husbandry department has sounded alert in Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Dhubri and Goalpara districts of Assam, which have borders with West Bengal.
The All-Assam Poultry Farmers' Association has demanded a "total ban' on supply of poultry products from West Bengal. The association in a meeting with the state veterinary department underscored the need for imposition of such a drastic ban.
"Although there has been no report of an outbreak of the deadly virus from any part of the state till date, poultry farmers are apprehensive that products from West Bengal may spread the disease in the state," poultry farmers association officials said.
It is estimated that 14,000 kg of poultry products from West Bengal reach various North-East markets via Guwahati every day.
Department's deputy secretary RK Sarma said that there was no need for panic since the state was fully prepared to tackle any eventuality.
Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) have been formed in all border districts where alert has already been sounded. Masks and other equipment to face possible outbreak of the avian flu have also been supplied to the RRTs.
The regional disease diagnostic laboratory of the Assam Veterinary Department at Khanapara has been upgraded.:tiphat: http://in.rediff.com/news/2008/jan/18assam.htm

Treyfish · 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, cul ling continues Saturday, January 19, 2008
KOLKATA: 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 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. :tiphat: http://www.kaumudi.com/news/011908/a_ind1.stm

Niko · 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

I needed a refresher and thought others might need one too

<table class="rate" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="6" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td valign="top">Indian Quotation</td><td align="right">Amount</td><td align="right">International Quotation</td> <td rowspan="6" align="right" valign="center">
</td></tr> <tr><td>1 Lakh</td><td align="right">100,000.00</td><td align="right">100 Thousands</td></tr> <tr><td>10 Lakhs</td><td align="right">1,000,000.00</td><td align="right">1 Million</td></tr> <tr><td>1 Crore</td><td align="right">10,000,000.00</td><td align="right">10 Million</td></tr> <tr><td>10 Crores</td><td align="right">100,000,000.00</td><td align="right">100 Million</td></tr> <tr><td>100 Crores</td><td align="right">1,000,000,000.00</td><td align="right">1 Billion</td></tr></tbody></table>

AlaskaDenise · Jan 19, 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/01180804/H5N1_Suburban_Calcutta.html

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

Suspect H5N1 in Suburban Calcutta

Recombinomics Commentary 23:19
January 18, 2008

Bird flu might be now at Kolkata's doorstep. After the outbreak in Birbhum, Murshidabad and South Dinajpur districts, deaths of more than about 400 poultry birds were reported at Mankundu in Sarisa in the outskirts of the city.

It is learnt that the dying chickens were showing symptoms of the deadly bird flu in a private poultry farm and several other houses at Sarisa under the Diamond Harbour II block since Wednesday.

The above comments describe suspect H5N1 in suburban Calcutta (see satellite map). Media reports indicate birds have been dying daily since December 21. Similar reports have been received for Birbhum, where H5N1 has been confirmed and extensive culler started this week.

Like Birbhum, wild birds have also been dying in southern Calcutta and the dead poultry is southwest of the center of Calcutta. Also like Burbham, villagers have been eating the dead poultry, raising concerns of H5N1 ransmission to humans.

Samples have been sent to High Security Animal Disease Laboratory in Bhopal and comments on rapid test results were conspicuously absent. Culling may begin shortly.

These results may have contributed to the Calcutta alert, and the distribution of poultry deaths suggests H5N1 is widespread in West Bengal.

.

HenryN · Jan 19, 2008

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

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

India struggles to contain bird flu as farmers resist cull 
by Sailendra Sil 21 minutes ago

Authorities analysed on Saturday samples from dead chickens amid fears a bird flu outbreak may have spread in eastern India as locals resisted a massive cull.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called the outbreak of avian flu among poultry in the densely populated eastern state of West Bengal the worst the country has faced -- partly because it is more widespread.
West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee called the situation "very serious," while officials reported villagers were throwing chicken carcasses into rivers and ponds, increasing the risk of the virus spreading.
Bird flu has been confirmed in three districts of West Bengal where 85,000 poultry have died from the disease, the federal government said in a statement.
Fresh bird deaths were reported from another three districts and laboratory officials were analysing some of the dead poultry, the statement said.
The outbreak is the third in India, home to 1.1 billion people, since 2006.
"More serious risk factors are associated with this current outbreak than (the two) previously encountered, including that the affected areas are more widespread and because of proximity to extended border areas," the WHO said.
West Bengal borders Bangladesh, which is also fighting a bird flu outbreak.
More than 36,000 chickens had been slaughtered so far in the three affected districts in Marxist-ruled West Bengal, where poverty is rampant.
State officials said chickens were still on sale in the affected areas despite a ban, and New Delhi has called in paramilitary troops to prevent birds being smuggled out.
Attempts to fight the outbreak have been frustrated by a lack of cooperation from local people angered by what they said was inadequate compensation for the dead birds.
"In some areas, villagers are feasting on dead chickens and are reluctant to disclose if there are any chickens or ducks in their backyards," said West Bengal health services director Sanchita Baksi.
Also, chicken were still being sold in the badly hit Margram village, 240 kilometres (150 miles) from the state capital Kolkata, and locals were unwilling to show their poultry to culling teams.
"The chickens are the only source of income for us," poultry owner Moti Bibi told AFP.
Locals said the government offers of compensation were not enough and would take too long to arrive. Some 30 million rupees (770,000 dollars) had been set aside to compensate poultry owners.
"We'll be caught in a debt trap," said Bibi who had borrowed money for his chicken farm in Margam.
The state government aims to slaughter 400,000 birds in a five-to-10 kilometre (three-to-six mile) radius of the affected areas and has said the process could take at least another six days.

Humans typically catch the disease by coming into direct contact with infected poultry, but experts fear the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus may mutate into a form easily transmissible between people. Wild migratory birds have been blamed for the global spread of the disease, which has killed more than 200 people worldwide since 2003.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/2008011...a&printer=1;_ylt=AroFQ7vkloSIs7eXV99Y6u3uOrgF

HenryN · Jan 19, 2008

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

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

January 19, 2008
<NYT_KICKER>World Briefing | Asia</NYT_KICKER>
<NYT_HEADLINE version="1.0" type=" ">India: Bird Flu Spread ?Alarming? </NYT_HEADLINE>

<NYT_BYLINE version="1.0" type=" ">By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr.
</NYT_BYLINE><NYT_TEXT>India?s third outbreak of avian flu among poultry is the worst it has faced, the World Health Organization said. The chief minister of West Bengal State, which is trying to cull 400,000 birds, called the virus?s spread ?alarming.? Uncooperative villagers, angry at being offered only 75 cents a chicken by the government, have been selling off their flocks and throwing dead birds into waterways, increasing the risk. New outbreaks were also reported this week in Iran and Ukraine.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/19/w...l?_r=1&oref=slogin&ref=world&pagewanted=print

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