India Declared Free from Bird Flu?

[Ronan Kelly]

India Declared Free from Bird FLU
India has declared itself free from bird flu (H5N1). The declaration was made here on December 29, 2011 and notified to OIE. However, the surveillance will be continued throughout the country especially in the vulnerable areas bordering the infected countries and in areas visited by migratory birds. Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries in the Ministry of Agriculture has advised the States to maintain vigil against the disease.

Outbreak of bird flu was notified on September 8, 2011 in village Bhamondanga, part- I, Agomoni Block in Dhubri district of Assam. This was followed by another outbreak in Betai Nanshatola and Putimari Christianpara in Tehetta Block of Nadia district of West Bengal, which was notified on September 19, 2011. Thereafter, there has been no further outbreak.

The control measures adopted in the outbreaks were stamping out of entire poultry population including destruction of eggs, feed, litters and other infected materials in the radius of 3 kms. around each outbreak location, restriction on movement of poultry, poultry products to and from the area of outbreak, disinfection and cleaning up of infected premises. The final disinfection process was completed on September 29, 2011.

Surveillance was carried out throughout the country. Surveillance around the area of outbreak since completion of the operation (including culling disinfection and clean up) and surveillance in rest of the country has shown no evidence of presence of bird flu (H5N1).

SB:CP: birdflu (4.1.2012)
(Release ID :79347)
http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=79347

India seems to be denying the current outbreak in Jharkhand; http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?goto=newpost&t=177140

and possible outbreaks in Bihar; http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?goto=newpost&t=178927

Orissa; http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?goto=newpost&t=178742

and West Bengal; http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?goto=newpost&t=178965

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: India Declared Free from Bird Flu?

My Emphasis and bolding added - Ro

India
Dying crows deny India is bird flu free
Dumka (Jharkhand) | January 16, 2012 12:01:13 AM IST

India recently declared itself free from bird flu, at a time when the state of Jharkhand has been in a state of panic with the sudden and inexplicable death of thousands of crows in the last four to five months.

Every day hundreds of crows have been seen dead in different districts across the state.

...

In the initial days, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Department of Environment worked together to find a reason behind this sudden surge in the casualties but could reach no conclusion. Efforts were also made by the forest officers, officials and doctors of the Animal Husbandry Department to save the lives of the birds, but it yielded no results. Neither were the untimely deaths of these helpless creatures checked nor were arrangements for their proper treatment made.

...

Former Regional Director, Dr. Amar Kumar Verma, was of the opinion that there could be three possible reasons behind the tragedy. First, use of indiscriminate fertilizers and insecticides intended to protect the crop. When scavenging crows eat those insects and dead rats, they ingest the poisonous insecticide, resulting in death. Second, disease that usually kills the birds is that of Ranikhet. It affects the respiratory and nervous systems of birds leading to respiratory difficulty, tremors, and twitching of the head. Pigeon pox/fowl pox could also be one of the reasons, he suggested.

Amid all the speculations, a report from the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Bhopal, confirmed that crows in the state are dying of Avian Influenza, informally known as Bird Flu. It is established in the report that H5N1 virus, responsible for the disease, has been detected in the dead crows. Their bodies were sent to IVRI in Bhopal and Bareilly, after the death of many crows in November 2011.

...

Several advisories were issued in local newspapers, asking people not to touch the dead crows, to bury them and inform officials and others. As a precautionary step, the Ranchi Zoo was also shut down to halt the spread of virus.

The Central Government also sent an advisory to the Jharkhand Government regarding the deaths of the crows - the same government that has declared India free from Bird flu. The declaration was made in Delhi on December 29, 2011. Technically, a country can declare itself free from bird flu if there is no outbreak of the disease for three consecutive months. What of these dead crows? Is the definition of 'Bird flu free country' restricted to healthy poultry birds alone?
...
By Amrendra Suman (ANI)
http://news.webindia123.com/news/Articles/India/20120116/1909798.html