India - Bird Flu in Poultry/Animals Jan 24+

[HenryN]

Re: India - Bird Flu in Poultry/Animals Jan 24+

Bird Flu hits Kalyani again
Biswabrata Goswami
KRISHNAGAR, Jan. 30: The district administrative officials may claim that they were done with culling in the Bird Flu affected areas but locals from various places in the district have termed the operation an ?eyewash? following a fresh outbreak of the Bird Flu in Kalyani municipal area yesterday.
Fresh panic gripped the Kalyani municipal area as the dreaded H5N1 strain of Bird Flu virus has struck back, hitting the Harijanpally, a densely populated area under Ward No 2 of the Kalyani civic body. The new outbreak has come as a shock because the culling operation of the two surrounding districts ~ North 24-Parganas and Hoogly ~ is about to end.
Soon after the announcement was made, an angry resident of Harijanpally said: ?I cannot imagine how this disease spread in our area despite so much restrictions being put in place since 19 January.
?The district administration has banned the buying and selling of chickens across the district. After completing the culling operation in the notified areas of the district, the administration is conducting mopping operation. I think all these operations are nothing but an eyewash game. I believe that there should be a thorough surveillance of poultry throughout the year by the animal husbandry officials.?
When contacted, Dr Santanu Jha, an entomologist with the Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya and also the chairman of the Kalyani civic body said: ?I am confused about the cause of spread of the disease. I think that lack of thorough surveillance by the animal husbandry department throughout the year is the reason why the disease could not be detected earlier.?
Dr Amalendu Saha, deputy director of the animal resource development department, said: ?We are trying our best to combat the situation. The culling operation will be continued for years until it stops affecting the new area. When the disease affects an area, the first and foremost duty is to cull all birds in that area.?
When asked about the matter, Mr Onkar Singh Meena said: ?We were nearly through with the culling operation but the virus has spread to Kalyani. We will take similar action there.
?Culling operation has started from today and it will continue for the next two days.?

http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=23&theme=&usrsess=1&id=188114

 

[Diane Morin]

Re: India - Bird Flu in Poultry/Animals Jan 24+

Bird Flu: 33 villages under surveillance

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Jan 30: The Malda health authorities, under the guidance of experts from national institute of communicable diseases (NICD), New Delhi, are keeping close eye on 33 villagers owing to their illness with fever, cough and cold after handling and eating dead birds in Chanchal sub division area where culling operation is going after detection of Bird Flu virus, the Malda chief medical officer said today.

?A total of 33 persons who ate dead birds are under surveillance owing to their illness. Though they do not have acute breathing problem, we could not neglect them,? said Mr Radha Raman Banik, the Malda CMOH.
The Malda health workers started statutory door to door to visit from yesterday in the Bird Flu affected zone within three and up to 10 km radius from the Bird Flu affected village Mahanandapur in Chanchal I block in northern part of Malda district.

According to the CMOH, more than 600 people have reported that they are suffering from cough and cold with light fever.
?It does not mean that they are suffering from avian influenza. It is common phenomenon due to present cold wave. At least 10 percent of total population of this district is suffering from this disease. Comparatively the number identified 600 people out of 100,000 population is normal?, Mr. Banik said.

Today's rain has hampered surveillance job in the affected zone partly, he said.
?A total of 400 people, who are executing culling operation, will be quarantined for 10 days in Chanchal after the end of culling operation?, the Malda CMOH said.

The team of NICD along with the Malda CMOH today visited Chanchal area and examined the persons engaged in culling operation.
The ARD officials have collected blood samples of ailing birds from Kaliachak III block yesterday and from Kaliachak I block today from several villages according to the direction of doctors from NICD.
?The blood samples would be sent to Bhopal through state officials in Kolkata tonight?, said Mr N K ****, deputy director Malda animal resources development.

?Though we have culled more than 76,000 birds out of targeted 80,000 ones but we need two days more to complete culling operation. We need to review the present report to mop up the affected zone?, said Mr ****.

Though price of chicken and its rate of selling have decreased in Malda town following Bird Flu scare but sell of chicken being reared in private farm houses have been increased in rural belts like Kaliachak and block areas.

The people belonging to low-income group are buying chicken paying Rs 30 per kg, which comparatively lower than present price of beef, Rs 50 per kg.
Similarly the selling rate of egg and its price has fallen in Malda town. The Malda whole sale traders are receiving eggs from Andhra Pradesh with low rate and dumping in the clod storage now.

http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=10&theme=&usrsess=1&id=188070

 

[HenryN]

Re: India - Bird Flu in Poultry/Animals Jan 24+

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=780 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=2>Bird flu in Kolkata suburbs, poultry owners up in arms

Express news service
Posted online: Thursday, January 31, 2008 at 0156 hrs IST
Kolkata, January 30
As avian flu reached within 8 kilometers of Kolkata, Bengal?s poultry owners ? who have lost crores of rupees and have been pushed to the brink of bankruptcy ? are now planning to hold an agitation against the state government.
Many of them have rushed to Writers? Buildings with applications asking the government to allow their poultry products to enter Kolkata. At present, only 12 registered poultries are being allowed to enter the city.
Meanwhile, hundreds of chickens died in poultries in Benerpur, Maheshtolla and Andharmanik in Bishnupur today. Both places are located within 8 kilometers of Kolkata. The members of the West Bengal Poultry Welfare Association met state animal resource development minister Anisur Rahaman at Writers? Buildings and alleged police harassment.
Rahaman assured them that those poultries who adhered to bio-safety norms specified by the ARD department will be allowed to do business. The poultries had been asked to submit applications on safety measures adopted by them.
?We have received around 60 applications. We are scanning them and will allow them entry if the measures are found satisfactory,? he said.
He has also spoke to the police to ensure that there is no harassment. The state government has announced a 12.5 crore grant to the ARD department. The fund will be utilised to provide a compensation of Rs 500 to each family that lost their livelihood.
On Thursday, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee is expected to attend a video conference with all District Magistrates and sabhadhipatis to review the present situation and consider any proposal given by the district administration.
As of now, 24 lakh birds have been culled. With samples from new areas testing positive, the ARD department has set a target to cull 28 lakh birds, which is expected to be over in another two days.
Meanwhile, 400 chickens died at Benerpukur in ward number 15 in Maheshtolla municipality and Andharmanik area in Bishnupur respectively. The chicken deaths took place in poultries. Both areas are within 8 kms from Kolkata.
?Samples have been sent for testing, but the results have not arrived. A number of chickens died in these two places. We will start culling soon,? said Sanghamitra Ghosh, DM, South 24 Parganas.
Culling operations undertaken in Baduria and Bashirhat faced difficulties as locals protested against the move.

http://www.indianexpress.com/printerFriendly/267373.html

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[sharon sanders]

Re: India - Bird Flu in Poultry/Animals Jan 24+

Poultry Industry is Hit - closer to Calcutta - culling teams quarantined as preventative

Bird flu in N 24 Parganas, organised poultry also hit

Kolkata, January 29 West Bengal’s avian influenza epidemic has spread from backyard poultry to the organised sector and entered a new district as well, with reports of 3,500 chicken dying at a poultry growing unit at Baduria in North 24 Parganas on Tuesday, barely 25 kilometres from Kolkata. Animal Resources Development Minister Anisur Rahaman, announcing the news at Writers’ Buildings, said that samples have been sent to the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory in Bhopal but culling has already begun in the area as a precautionary measure. “I have ordered culling within a five-km radius of the farm,” Rahaman said.
With the deaths reported from North 24 Parganas, Kolkata is now surrounded by bird flu affected districts — South and North 24 Parganas to the south and east, and Howrah and Hooghly on the west.
Avian influenza, which broke out first in Birbhum district on January 15, has now devastated backyard poultry in 13 of the state’s 19 districts. Tuesday’s report was the first time large-scale deaths took place in a poultry farm. Government workers have already culled around 22 lakh birds against an initial target of 25 lakh. “Following today’s discovery, we will have to revise our culling target as the bird flu has moved into a new district,” Rahaman said.
At Tuesday’s scheduled meeting of the state cabinet, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee impressed upon his colleagues the seriousness of the situation. Bhattacharjee also advised Rahaman to keep in touch with his counterparts in the Union government and find out if more can be done to control the bird flu. Rahaman, briefing reporters after the cabinet meeting, said there is no scope for vaccinating the birds.
Bird flu in North 24 Parganas, organised poultry hitalso “I have spoken to Union government officials about preventive measures, and they have told me there is a vaccine for the chicken but it cannot be used since birds become carriers,” Rahaman said. He said the government will not hesitate to follow up the US government’s offer of help.
The minister said many ARD staff engaged in culling operations now wish to return home, but this cannot be allowed since they have to be quarantined for at least ten days.



“I have told my officials to take steps against any culling staff who will try to skip the quarantine period. We are not sympathetic to such demands,” Rahaman said.

Meanwhile, the Bengal government has told the Centre it does not need any support from it at the moment. A communique released after a meeting called by the Union Health minister read: “The Resident Commissioner clearly stated in the meeting that no further support was needed.”
The note observed that the infection has spread to new areas in the already-affected Howrah and Birbhum districts. It said the “infection is not over a wide area but restricted to small pockets”.
Given the diktat that all poultry in regions close to affected areas need to be culled, the rapid response teams engaged in the field killed about 2.38 lakh birds on Monday taking the exact figure of birds culled to 21.68 lakh.


http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Bird-flu-in-N-24-Parganas-organised-poultry-also-hit/266976/

 

[Treyfish]

Re: India - Bird Flu in Poultry/Animals Jan 24+

'Bangladesh dumping dead poultry in no-man's land'</ARTTITLE>
31 Jan 2008, 0143 hrs IST

,

Kounteya Sinha

,

TNNNEW DELHI: Dead poultry, found lying in no-man's land between West Bengal and Bangladesh, has now started to worry India. A BSF team reported to the Centre on Wednesday that Bangladeshi citizens were seen dumping dead birds in no-man's land.

Officials fear that the birds may have died of the deadly H5N1 bird flu infection. In such a case, India, which is presently fighting a severe bird flu outbreak in West Bengal, faces a renewed threat from the highly pathogenic virus, which can spread rapidly through wild birds and canines, who carry around such infected carcasses.

Not taking any chances, India, in an official communication, has asked Bangladesh to develop a mechanism jointly with India to decide how the dead birds, which are found lying in no-man's land, will be properly disposed of.

Speaking to TOI, an animal husbandry department official said: "We have received reports from a BSF vigil team that dead birds are being flung into no-man's land from the Bangladeshi side. Such carcasses can prove dangerous for both countries who can't risk fresh areas from being infected by the H5N1 virus."

He added: "We, therefore, need a joint mechanism in place to ensure such dead birds are disposed off before they are carried around by wild birds, cats and dogs, who then become active carriers of the virus. This mechanism can act as a confidence building measure." While 29 districts in Bangladesh are reeling under the bird flu virus, 13 of the 19 districts in West Bengal have already confirmed an outbreak.

The external affairs ministry has already asked the Bangladesh government to share the genetic history and information of the virus that has hit the neighbouring country. India is almost certain that the H5N1 virus presently wreaking Bengal came from Bangladesh through illegal poultry trade.

Health secretary Naresh Dayal had told TOI: "If we see that the virus circulating in Bengal is the same as the Bangladeshi type, we can almost be certain that illegal trade of infected poultry from Bangladesh into India was the cause of the present outbreak. If the strains don't match, the virus may have then been brought into India by migratory birds."

He had added: "That Bangladesh is our source of infection is till now just a matter of conjecture."

Meanwhile, bird flu in West Bengal on Wednesday spread to fresh areas in the affected districts of Howrah, Birbhum and Nadia, while a large number of chickens died in North 24-Parganas.

According to the latest report received from the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory, Bhopal, samples collected from Suri-I block of Birbhum district, Raghunathganj-II block of Murshidabad district and Chanditala-2 block of Hooghly district tested positive for Avian Influenza virus on the basis of the rapid tests. Tests of samples from North 24 Parganas are still under process.

More than 630 Rapid Response Teams were engaged in culling and containment operations on Tuesday. Over 23.23 lakh birds have been culled in total till now. The virus has, meanwhile, killed over 1.3 lakh birds in Bengal. :tiphat:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...ultry_in_no-mans_land/articleshow/2744669.cms

 

[Treyfish]

Re: India - Bird Flu in Poultry/Animals Jan 24+

Animal husbandry department puts officials on ?red alert?

Varanasi/Bareilly, January 31, 2008Uttar Pradesh's animal husbandry department employees have been put on a virtual red alert to check the entry of chickens from the bird flu-affected districts of West Bengal. Also, 1,500 infected chickens have been culled in Shahjahanpur, which received part of a consignment of 5,000 birds from Bengal. The consignment was first received in Varanasi for further dispatch to Buxar in Bihar, besides Shahjahanpur.
Sources in Shahjahanpur confirmed that Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Naval Kishor raided a poultry farm, seized 1,500 infected birds and buried them on the banks of the Khannaut river with the help of the police.
The poultry farmer had received the consignment from bird flu-hit Burdwan district in Bengal.
In Varanasi, Animal Husbandry Department deputy director Dr Sardar Singh told HT over the phone that 5,000 chickens from West Bengal were sent to the city by train in the name of a trader, Deepu Sonker. The consignment reached Varanasi on the morning of January 26.
?We came to know about it late that afternoon and rushed to the railway station to found out the details. We immediately brought the matter to the notice of district magistrate Beena Kumari, who imposed a ban on the import of chickens and other poultry products from West Bengal. She also ordered the arrest of the local trader,? Singh said.
An FIR has been registered against Sonker, who had received the consignment at the station.
The department has deployed the employees, along with policemen, at railway stations and bus terminuses, highways and border districts to check the transport of chickens from Bengal, he said.
The Varansi district administration has already checked poultry shops.
Chetganj police station officer Chand Hussain said, ?We are conducting raids to arrest the poultry trader who sent the consignment of chickens to other districts of Western UP and Bihar from Varanasi."
Varansi Chief Medical Officer Dr Abdul Halim said preparations had been made to combat bird flu, but no case had been reported yet in Varanasi.
Dr S Majumdar, head of the poultry division at the Central Avian Research Institute, Izzatnagar (Bareilly) said there should be an immediate ban on the import of all poultry products from infected areas. Local authorities should constitute teams to detect and follow up with action on the basis of diagnosis.:tiphat: http://www.hindustantimes.com/Story...ndry+department+puts+officials+on+‘red+alert’

 

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: India - Bird Flu in Poultry/Animals Jan 24+

Commentary at

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/01300806/Calcutta_Panic.html

Commentary http://www.recombinomics.com/feed.xml http://www.newsnow.co.uk/nn/Recombinomics

Dead Chickens Cause Panic in Calcutta

Recombinomics Commentary 20:08
January 30, 2008

While the state government on Wednesday claimed that the onslaught of bird flu is coming under control, there was panic at Maheshtala in Kolkata after the mysterious death of 200 chickens there.

"At least 700 chickens have already been culled in North 24 Parganas after our tests suggested the presence of the virus in the area," Mr Rehman said, adding that the situation is a little worrying.

The dead chickens described above have caused panic in Calcutta (see satellite map here and here). These chickens are near the confirmed H5N1 in Budge Budge, and are close to the sites where dead wild birds were found.

There has also been confirmed H5N1 just across the Hooghly River, and as noted above culling has already begun in adjacent North 24 Parganas. However, the suggestive test results have not been made public previously. In addition H5N1 positives were found in the Hooghly district.

Thus, there seems to be withheld test data on excessive domestic and wild bird deaths in the area, as well as confirmation of additional bird deaths, so confirmation of the chickens mentioned above would not be a surprise.

The true situation in West Bengal and Calcutta remain murky, due to limited testing and the withholding of test results. At this time H5N1 has been confirmed in at least 13 districts, and culling is ongoing in at least three more districts where H5N1 has not been officially confirmed.

It is likely that H5N1 is in all 19 districts, including Calcutta.


.

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: India - Bird Flu in Poultry/Animals Jan 24+

Haryana state is not near West Bengal, it is near India's capital Delhi.

Bird flu scare in Haryana

31 Jan, 2008,

BHIWANI: Panic gripped poultry farmers in Haryana's Bhiwani District today due to mysterious death of thousands of chickens.

Poultry owners were scared that the bird flu virus has hit them.

"Thousands of chickens are dying daily. Doctors come, they do check up and then go. They are not telling us the exact reason for the mysterious death," said Krishna, a poultry owner.

There has been no official confirmation however if the deadly H5N1 strain of avian influenza has actually hit here.

About 160,000 poultry birds have been culled in West Bengal so far, while over 100,000 birds have succumbed to the disease.

The 5000 crore organised poultry industry in West Bengal has taken a bad hit following the outbreak of bird flu.

In 2006, after bird flu was detected in Maharashtra, the Centre had given a 4 per cent subsidy on interest on loans given to the organised sector and backed it up with subsidy on poultry feed.

The WHO has called the outbreak the most serious in India.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com...flu_scare_in_Haryana_/articleshow/2746055.cms

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: India - Bird Flu in Poultry/Animals Jan 24+

Preliminary probe rules out bird flu in Haryana

Bhiwani, Jan 31: The presence of bird flu has been ruled out in Haryana after post-mortem concluded that the chicken deaths in Bhiwani were caused due to intestinal infection and not bird flu.

This has been asserted by a top official of the state Animal Husbandry Department and the state government has also claimed that the deaths were not due to bird flu.

An official of the Haryana Agricultural Department has stated that the Department had probed the cause of death of the chickens and brought the sample. After preliminary investigation it was discovered that the infections were respiratory in nature caused due to drastic fall in the temperature in the state. Therefore, based on this, experts have so far negated the possibility of bird flu here.

Varanasi bans chicken trade, sale

Meanwhile the administration in Varanasi has banned chicken trade particularly the purchase of chicken from West Bengal. The sale also has been halted in the markets of the city as a precautionary step.

Sources also state that it has been decided to thoroughly check the trains coming from West Bengal to ensure that the ban is adhered to. This pronouncement has come a day after chicken being smuggled from West Bengal was seized at the Rourkela railway station.

Bird flu scare in Darjeeling

However Darjeeling was gripped by bird flu scare today where 38 chicken were found dead yesterday even as culling operations continued in the affected West Bengal districts. Darjeeling magistrate Rajesh Pandey confirmed the chicken deaths which occurred at Takdah village.

Blood samples have been sent to a laboratory for testing and the administration would chalk out an action plan after getting the result, he said.

Meanwhile, the state Animal Husbandry Ministry has raised the culling target to 27 lakh following death of about 4,000 chicken in North 24 Parganas district bordering Kolkata yesterday.

Although the district was not yet declared affected, culling operation has been undertaken as a preventive measure.

"As the target area is increasing every day it is impossible to say how many chicken will have to be killed," Animal Resource Development (ARD) Minister Anisur Rehman said.

The minister said so far there was no case of human infection. "We have sent more than 3500 human samples and none have tested positive."

http://www.zeenews.com/articles.asp?aid=421623&sid=REG

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: India - Bird Flu in Poultry/Animals Jan 24+

Bird flu lies 5 km away from Kolkata

January 31, 2008 19:04 IST

Despite the West Bengal government's repeated assurance that bird flu is under control, the deadly virus appears to be creeping towards the metropolis and lies barely five kilometers away.

500 chicken died of suspected avian flu in one poultry in the last three days in Mahestala Municipality, five km from Kolkata. The municipality collected samples on Wednesday and sent them to the National Institute of Virology in Bhopal. It will take three days to get the result.

Till then, nearly 3,000 people of the ward will have to keep their fingers crossed. Amal Bol, a resident of Benepukur in the municipality, feared that he or his family members might be affected by the H5N1 virus because it was at his poultry that the 500 bird deaths had occurred.

"I have informed the health department, the animal resource development department and the municipality but no one took the initiative to protect me or the 23 members in my family," said Bol. He said that on Wednesday samples were collected but no preventive action was taken.

Mahestala municipality chairman Kali Bhandari said he was aware of the poultry deaths and samples had been sent for testing. "We have collected the samples but we will have to wait for another 72 hours for the report to come," Bhandari said.

The police had been asked to ensure that there was no movement of poultry from the affected area.

http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/jan/31flu1.htm

 

[HenryN]

Re: India - Bird Flu in Poultry/Animals Jan 24+

Preliminary probe rules out bird flu in Haryana

Bhiwani, Jan 31: The presence of bird flu has been ruled out in Haryana after post-mortem concluded that the chicken deaths in Bhiwani were caused due to intestinal infection and not bird flu.

This has been asserted by a top official of the state Animal Husbandry Department and the state government has also claimed that the deaths were not due to bird flu.

An official of the Haryana Agricultural Department has stated that the Department had probed the cause of death of the chickens and brought the sample. After preliminary investigation it was discovered that the infections were respiratory in nature caused due to drastic fall in the temperature in the state. Therefore, based on this, experts have so far negated the possibility of bird flu here.

Varanasi bans chicken trade, sale

Meanwhile the administration in Varanasi has banned chicken trade particularly the purchase of chicken from West Bengal. The sale also has been halted in the markets of the city as a precautionary step.

Sources also state that it has been decided to thoroughly check the trains coming from West Bengal to ensure that the ban is adhered to. This pronouncement has come a day after chicken being smuggled from West Bengal was seized at the Rourkela railway station.

Bird flu scare in Darjeeling

However Darjeeling was gripped by bird flu scare today where 38 chicken were found dead yesterday even as culling operations continued in the affected West Bengal districts. Darjeeling magistrate Rajesh Pandey confirmed the chicken deaths which occurred at Takdah village.

Blood samples have been sent to a laboratory for testing and the administration would chalk out an action plan after getting the result, he said.

Meanwhile, the state Animal Husbandry Ministry has raised the culling target to 27 lakh following death of about 4,000 chicken in North 24 Parganas district bordering Kolkata yesterday.

Although the district was not yet declared affected, culling operation has been undertaken as a preventive measure.

"As the target area is increasing every day it is impossible to say how many chicken will have to be killed," Animal Resource Development (ARD) Minister Anisur Rehman said.

The minister said so far there was no case of human infection. "We have sent more than 3500 human samples and none have tested positive."

http://www.zeenews.com/articles.asp?aid=421623&sid=REG

Video states 5000 chickens have died (and shows many)

http://broadband.indiatimes.com/videoshow/2746657.cms

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: India - Bird Flu in Poultry/Animals Jan 24+

Avian Flu Spreads, West Bengal To Cull 2.55 Million Birds (Roundup)

Thursday 31st of January 2008

With the avian flu spreading to new areas in West Bengal, the government announced Thursday that it would end up culling a whopping 2.8 million poultry birds by Saturday.

'We had culled about 2.55 million birds by Wednesday. We hope to complete the rest in two more days,' Animal Resource Development Minister Anisur Rahman said.

The authorities continued to maintain that the deadly virus that has gripped the length and breadth of West Bengal had not infected human beings in the state since it was detected Jan 15.

Health Minister Surya Kanta Mishra said 18 samples had undergone laboratory tests and that about 1.8 million people in the affected regions were under the scanner for possible infection.

'We are quarantining the cullers for a certain time and administering them Tamiflu,' he said.

Minister Rahman said all poultry and egg sellers would be compensated for the loss and each family losing chickens and ducks to culling or to deaths from the virus would get Rs.500.

Reports from the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory (HSADL) in Bhopal confirmed that samples from Suri I block in Birbhum districts, Raghunathganj II in Murshidabad district and Chanditala II in Hooghly district close to Kolkata had tested positive for avian influenza.

Hooghly District Magistrate Vinod Kumar confirmed the outbreak in Hutpur village, barely 20 km from Kolkata. Areas affected by bird flu now ring the city of 15 million, creating a real scare.

The HSADL is yet to confirm reports of bird flu spreading to Baduria area in Kolkata's adjoining North 24-Parganas district but the government has said that the deadly H5N1 strain has been found in the samples taken from there.

Officials in New Delhi said that among the 1.6 million people surveyed, teams of healthcare personnel had detected 3,700 people with signs of upper respiratory infection such as cold, cough and fever.

Only 28 of them have had a history of exposure to poultry. However, none of these people had symptoms of avian influenza like lung infection, breathlessness or lung patches visible on X-ray.

Under widespread attack for not acting fast, the government is desperately trying to contain the bird flu's spread.

Villagers in Bajitpur, Parchandrahat and Chattaparulia in Birbhum's Mayureswar-I block, which is affected by bird flu, reportedly exhumed culled poultry birds Monday and marched to the panchayat office seeking interim relief of Rs.500 for each family.

The culled birds were again buried in the trenches at the intervention of the police, who issued a stern warning that anyone found exhuming dead birds would be arrested.

Bird flu was confirmed in West Bengal Jan 15. The affected districts are South 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly, Birbhum, South Dinajpur, Murshidabad, Nadia, Burdwan, Bankura, Malda, Cooch Behar, Purulia and West Midnapore.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has described the West Bengal situation as 'serious'.

In neighbouring Bangladesh, which shares a long border with West Bengal, bird flu has affected 29 out of 64 districts. The Bangladesh authorities declared the outbreak Jan 3.

http://newspostindia.com/report-34451

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: India - Bird Flu in Poultry/Animals Jan 24+

Centre asks Haryana to send samples of dead poultry

New Delhi (PTI): With reports of a few hundred chicken dying in a poultry farm in Haryana, the Centre has asked the state government to send samples of dead poultry for testing for the deadly bird flu virus.

The Haryana government has informed us that a few hundred birds have died in a poultry farm in Jind district of the state, Union Animal Husbandry Secretary Pradeep Kumar told reporters here on Thursday.

"Though the state government got the samples tested at the Agricultural University there, which showed no Bird flu virus was present in them, we have asked them to send the samples to HSADL, Bhopal, for further testing," Kumar said.

According to the Haryana government, the poultry died due to E. Coli bacterial infection, he added.

"The number of chickens dead in Haryana farm is 500-600 out of a total population of 10,000," he said.

On reports of birds being culled in Uttar Pradesh, Kumar said the Animal Husbandry department has asked the Railways to ensure that no poultry is transported from West Bengal to any state.

- snip -

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/107403.htm

 

[HenryN]

Re: India - Bird Flu in Poultry/Animals Jan 24+

Centre asks Haryana to send samples of dead poultry

New Delhi (PTI): With reports of a few hundred chicken dying in a poultry farm in Haryana, the Centre has asked the state government to send samples of dead poultry for testing for the deadly bird flu virus.

The Haryana government has informed us that a few hundred birds have died in a poultry farm in Jind district of the state, Union Animal Husbandry Secretary Pradeep Kumar told reporters here on Thursday.

"Though the state government got the samples tested at the Agricultural University there, which showed no Bird flu virus was present in them, we have asked them to send the samples to HSADL, Bhopal, for further testing," Kumar said.

According to the Haryana government, the poultry died due to E. Coli bacterial infection, he added.

"The number of chickens dead in Haryana farm is 500-600 out of a total population of 10,000," he said.

On reports of birds being culled in Uttar Pradesh, Kumar said the Animal Husbandry department has asked the Railways to ensure that no poultry is transported from West Bengal to any state.

- snip -

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/107403.htm

Video says 5000 chickens died (and e. coli is normal flora in intestines)

 

[sharon sanders]

Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli

Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli

Info on E. coli in poultry -

Introduction

Strictly speaking avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) are E. coli strain that can cause disease in birds of various ages : septicaemia, chronic respiratory disease, vitellus infection, salpyngitidis, peritonitis, chronic skin infections, osteomyelitis, swollen head syndrome, … Today nevertheless, APEC represent E. coli strains causing invasive infection of poultry (chickens and turkeys), more especially of broilers, with the respiratory tract as portal of entry : septicaemia, peritonitis, perihepatitis, air sacculitis, osteomyelitis, … This presentation will therefore focus on the pathogenesis and virulence properties of these particular invasive strains....


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[HenryN]

Re: India - Bird Flu in Poultry/Animals Jan 24+

Bird Flu within short radius Kolkata
Hooghly, Jan 31 (UNI) The dreaded avian influenza took another step towards Kolkata, even as the government is taking steps to block all gateways to the city, with confirmation of the outbreak at Hatpur village under Chanditala police station here some 20 km from the metropolis. District Magistrate Vinod Kumar said here today that several birds had died of unnatural causes in the area, following which, the blood samples were sent for tests and the authorities confirmed that the dreaded disease had taken another village in its grip, thus inching closer towards the West Bengal capital.

http://www.deepikaglobal.com/ENG3_sub.asp?ccode=ENG3&newscode=13148

 

[HenryN]

Re: India - Bird Flu in Poultry/Animals Jan 24+

Bird flu scare in Darjeeling hills
Friday February 1 2008 00:00 IST
<SMALL>PTI</SMALL>
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<SMALL>KOLKATA: Bird flu scare today gripped Darjeeling where 38 chicken were found dead even as culling operations continued in the 13 affected districts of West Bengal.

Darjeeling Magistrate Rajesh Pandey said 38 chicken died at Takdah village of Darjeeling district in north Bengal on Wednesday night.

Blood samples have been sent to a laboratory for testing and the administration would chalk out an action plan after getting the result, he said.

As many as 5.80 lakh birds have been culled in Murshidabad district so far with 50,000 remaining to be eliminated, said District Magistrate Subir Bhadra. Culling was mostly done in Samserganj, Beldanga and Kandi block areas.

Ninety per cent culling was over in West Midnapore district where bird flu was spotted in Debra block, district officials said. However, rains and intense cold were hampering the culling work, they said.

Meanwhile, the state animal husbandry ministry has raised the culling target to 27 lakh following death of about 4,000 chicken in North 24 Parganas district bordering Kolkata Wednesday.

Although the district was not yet declared affected, culling operation has been undertaken as a preventive measure.</SMALL>
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<SMALL>http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEP20080131083502&Page=P&Title=Nation&Topic=0</SMALL>

 

[HenryN]

Re: India - Bird Flu in Poultry/Animals Jan 24+

Culling figure revised as fresh areas affected in WB
Friday February 1 2008 00:00 IST
<SMALL>PTI</SMALL>
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<SMALL>KOLKATA: The figure for culling poultry in West Bengal was on Thursday revised to 28 lakh as the avian influenza spread to one block each in Birbhum and Murshidabad districts, while Darjeeling reported chicken deaths for the first time.

Fresh birdflu was confirmed in Rajapukur village in Birbhum's Suri-1 block and Raghnathganj block-2 in Murshidbad, district officials said.

Culling will begin in these areas from Friday. In Darjeeling, 38 chickens were found dead in a poultry in Takdah village, sparking fear of the spread of H5n1 virus, district magistrate Rajesh Pandey said.

In north 24 Parganas, which also was unaffected, 46,000 chickens were culled after symptoms of the disease surfaced in the past two days, district magistrate Prabhat Mishra said. The blocks where chicken deaths occurred were Baduria, Swarupnagar and Habra-1. In south 24 Parganas, an affected district, 250 more chickens died at a private poultry having 5,000 birds at Maheshtala in addition to 300 on Wednesday. The report of the samples were yet to be received, district magistrate Sanghamitra Ghosh said. Culling was completed during the day in Purulia, West Midnapore, Howrah and was to be completed in Nadia and Malda districts by Friday.

Earlier culling was completed in Burdwan, Uttar Dinajpur, Dakshin Dinajpur.

A report from Birbhum said there was resentment among animal husbandry department men engaged in culling as they were only being provided masks and not plastics gloves, shoes and aprons as earlier.

District ARD officer N D Bhowmick said masks were more important and these were being provided, though plastic gloves, aprons and shoes had been given earlier.

In Hooghly district where culling operations were to be taken up tomorrow at Satpukur Chanditollah, officials said the men were not taking the Tamil flu drug, which was necessary before operations.

They said poor consumption of the drug could be estimated from the fact that only 13,200 tablets were taken though over 33,000 were sent.

Meanwhile, the West Bengal government said that compensation would be paid to those whose birds had died or would have to be culled, besides affected egg traders.

Earlier those whose birds had died and egg traders were not entitled to compensation. For this two committees would function at the district and block levels under the district magistrate and BDO, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said.

Poultry farmers who did not fall within the affected district would not be paid compensation, animal resources development Minister Anisur Rahaman told reporters after the Chief Minister held a video conference with the district magistrates of the 13 bird flu affected districts to review the situation and assess the extent of loss.

Rahaman said there was no case of human infection so far.</SMALL>
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<SMALL>http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEH20080131100945&Page=H&Title=Top+Stories&Topic=0</SMALL>

 

[HenryN]

Re: India - Bird Flu in Poultry/Animals Jan 24+

Bird flu scare hits Darjeeling, U.P.


Kolkata/New Delhi, Jan. 31: Bird flu scare on Thursday gripped West Bengal?s tourist spot of Darjeeling with the death of some chicken and Uttar Pradesh?s Shahjahanpur district, where over 2,500 birds were culled, even as the Centre said it will explore the possibility of seeking US help for medicines and other preventive equipment.
On the other hand, West Bengal animal resource development minister Anisur Rehman said "as the target area is increasing every day it is impossible to say how many chicken will have to be killed (in the state)". However, there was no case of human infection, he said.
The ministry has raised the culling target to 27 lakhs following death of about 4,000 chicken in North 24 Parganas district bordering Kolkata on Wednesday. Despite the state government?s repeated assurance that birdflu was under control, the disease appears to be creeping towards Kolkata with 500 chicken dying of suspected avian flu in the past three days in a poultry in Mahestala municipality, five km from the city.
In UP?s Shahjahanpur, the chicken were part of a consignment from West Bengal?s Burdwan district and had arrived in Varanasi on Wednesday, officials said.
One person has been detained by the police in this connection and authorities have been put on alert.
Darjeeling magistrate Rajesh Pandey said 38 chicken died at Takdah village in north Bengal on Wednesday night. The blood samples have been sent for testing and the administration would chalk out an action plan after getting results.
Union minister Mukherjee said India requires US? support if "there is some new medicine or some technological thing like equipment or medicines or chemicals available which can prevent" the outbreak of birdflu. Mr Mukherjee, however, said the government was not contemplating asking the US for help in containing the outbreak, as "...We do not require their support for culling".
He said West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya has assured him that the situation was under control in a large number of areas.
Meanwhile, the West Bengal government brought egg traders those whose birds had died or culled within the ambit of compensation benefit.
ARD minister Rahaman said assistance would be provided to affected self help groups if they are interested in continuing rearing poultry.
Around 18.5 lakh people are involved in poultry farming in the state, he said. In the state?s Murshidabad district, nearly 5.80 lakh birds have been culled with 50,000 remaining to be eliminated, officials said. Ninety per cent culling was over in west Midnapore district where bird flu was spotted in Debra block, district officials said. In Coochbehar, nearly 50,000 affected birds were killed. Samples from Mahestala near Kolkata have been sent to the National Institute of Virology in Bhopal for tests. (PTI)

http://www.asianage.com/presentatio...india/bird-flu-scare-hits-darjeeling,-up.aspx

 

[HenryN]

Re: India - Bird Flu in Poultry/Animals Jan 24+

Two more birds found dead at Maharabi<!EpnHeading2End>
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 31: After carcasses of seven Uchek Meishangbi (a species of Magpie) and four Khoining (Bulbul) were collected by officials of the Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Department from Maharabi village in Imphal West district yesterday, two carcasses of Khoining and Urok were also recovered in the same area today.

Speaking to The Sangai Express, Veterinary Director Dr Th Dorendra informed that a doctor of the Department will be sent to the high security Animal Disease Laboratory, Bhopal tomorrow with samples of the dead birds collected in the last 48 hours.

He said that extra preventive measures are being taken up in the State following outbreak of bird flu in West Bengal.

Since the surveillance operation was launched, there has been no case of any unnatural death of chicken or duck in the State, he conveyed.

Even as the Government of West Bengal has asked for veterinary experts to help in combating bird flu in West Bengal, the State Department of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry is unable to spare any experts due to shortage of manpower in the Department, Dr Dorendra informed.

Department officials have also started collecting blood samples of poultry birds reared in Maharabi where carcasses of wild birds were found.

On the other hand, the Department is continuing its awareness programmes on bird flu.

Under the programme, an awareness campaign on bird flu was held today at Lilong.

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