India (incl. West Bengal) - Poultry (December 2008 -)

[HenryN]

Re: West Bengal - Poultry (December 2008 -)

Re: West Bengal - Poultry (December 2008 -)

Commentary

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/01030901/H5N1_Darjeeling_Jalpaiguri.html

 

[HenryN]

Re: West Bengal - Poultry (December 2008 -)

Re: West Bengal - Poultry (December 2008 -)

Bird flu re-surfaces in crowded Indian state
Posted: 04 January 2009 0021 hrs
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An Indian worker inspects chicks abandoned because of suspicious bird flu contamination.</TD></TR><TR><TD> </TD><TD class=update> </TD></TR><TR><TD> </TD><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


KOLKATA, India - Health authorities in India on Saturday confirmed a fresh outbreak of deadly bird flu after thousands of chickens died, officials said.

The latest infection is the fourth outbreak of the H5N1 virus in the eastern West Bengal state in the past year, they said, adding that thousands of poultry perished in the hilly Darjeeling district.

"Several thousands of poultry dropped dead over the week in Darjeeling's Mathigarah village," West Bengal Animal Resources Development Minister Anisur Rahaman told AFP in state capital Kolkata.

"Samples of the dead poultry have tested positive," he said and added that 20,000 infected birds would be culled on Sunday.

The state authorities have already slaughtered five million poultry to control the virus during 2008 as India battled its worst bird flu outbreak.

The virus spread to 14 of the 19 districts in West Bengal, which has a population of more than 80 million. But India has still not reported any human case of the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus.

Officials in the northeast state of Assam last month killed 250,000 chickens to control the spread of the deadly infection, which had sparked fears of a human case after many people were reported sick.

The World Health Organization says the H5N1 strain has killed nearly 250 people, mostly in Southeast Asia, since 2003.

- AFP /ls

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/400018/1/.html

 

[HenryN]

Re: West Bengal - Poultry (December 2008 -)

Re: West Bengal - Poultry (December 2008 -)

Bird flu hits Darjeeling
National,Health, Sat, 03 Jan 2009 IANS

Siliguri (West Bengal), Jan 3 (IANS) Bird flu has hit West Bengal's Darjeeling district, prompting the administration Saturday to order culling of 60,000 poultry over three days from Sunday.

Alarmed at the death of 80 poultry at Pubang in Takhdra of Darjeeling subdivision and of 67 poultry at Matigara in Siliguri subdivision within a week, the district administration sent the samples to the High Security Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at Bhopal.

'One of the samples has tested positive for avian flu,' state animal resources development minister Anisur Rehman told IANS over phone.

'We have asked the district administration to take all measures. Culling will start Sunday,' Rehman said.

http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/55938

 

[HenryN]

Re: West Bengal - Poultry (December 2008 -)

Re: West Bengal - Poultry (December 2008 -)

West Bengal reports fresh outbreak of bird flu
Posted: 8:17p.m IST, January 3, 2009
Siliguri (West Bengal), Jan.3 (ANI):Health and veterinary workers in West Bengal's Siliguri region have started culling poultry birds after a reports of a fresh outbreak of the H5N1 virus that layman terms translates into bird flu.
The main epicenter of the flu has been fixed at Binay Krishna Pally off Siliguri in the District of Darjeeling. The latest outbreak of the virus in poultry is the fourth in West Bengal since 2007.
Bird flu first broke out in India in 2006 and millions of chicken and ducks had been culled to contain the virus.
Although it has resurfaced from time to time, there have been no reports of any human infections in India.
West Bengal Government officials clarified that they had begun culling about 60,000 poultry birds after the fourth outbreak was confirmed.
Thus a massive culling operation of poultry is under way.
Whatever area falls within the three kilometres area of the epicenter where avian influenza has been confirmed, we are going to cull all birds. We have an estimate of the birds to be culled. We have also, in fact, checked the outward and inward movement of all the birds, said Surendra Gupta, District Magistrate Darjeeling.
Earlier, hundreds of thousands of birds had been culled in India's north-eastern Assam state and neighboring Meghalaya after bird flu was detected in November last year.
Experts have warned that the H5N1 virus might mutate or combine with the highly contagious seasonal influenza virus and spark a pandemic that could kill millions of people across the world.(ANI)

http://news.smashits.com/334369/West-Bengal-reports-fresh-outbreak-of-bird-flu.htm

 

[HenryN]

Re: West Bengal - Poultry (December 2008 -)

Re: West Bengal - Poultry (December 2008 -)

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=articleheader>Bird flu hits Siliguri fringe
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=articleauthor>OUR CORRESPONDENT</TD></TR><TR><TD class=story align=left>

Siliguri, Jan. 3: Bird flu has been confirmed in Matigara on the outskirts of Siliguri town.
The Darjeeling district administration today said 60,000 birds within 3km of Benoy Krishna Pally village of Matigara block would be culled in the next few days.
The operation began this evening itself in some areas. Officials said around 500 poultry birds were killed.
?The culling area will cover Siliguri subdivision, Rajganj block of Jalpaiguri and 34 wards of Siliguri town. Around 1,000 birds will also be culled at Pubong village in Darjeeling Sadar subdivision.
All areas within 10km of the flu zone will be under surveillance,? district magistrate Surendra Gupta said.
After several meetings with senior police officers and officials of the animal resource development department and the district administration, he announced the formation of 30 culling teams.
?Each team will comprise five animal resource officials, two employees of the concerned blocks and two policemen. The compensation would be paid on the spot and each family that has lost poultry will be paid an additional Rs 500 after the culling operation is completed,? said the district magistrate.
No decision has been taken on banning the sale of poultry in the flu zone. Gupta said: ?We have not yet received any government order to stop sale or consumption. However, the movement of poultry products from areas within 3km of Benoy Krishna Pally would be stopped.?
Officials said they had arrived at the number of birds to be culled on the basis of a livestock census conducted in the district in 2007.
The outbreak at Matigara comes barely seven months after the flu was detected at Pounikumari in Kurseong, around 22km from Siliguri, and at Pulbazar in Darjeeling.
Englishbazar block in Malda was affected last month.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090104/jsp/bengal/story_10341175.jsp​

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

 

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: West Bengal - Poultry (December 2008 -)

Re: West Bengal - Poultry (December 2008 -)

Commentary

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/01030901/H5N1_Darjeeling_Jalpaiguri.html

Commentary

H5N1 Confirmed in Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri India
Recombinomics Commentary 16:46
January 3, 2009

epicentres of the avian influenza in Darjeeling district were Benoy Krishna Palli village under Matigara village of Siliguri sub-division and Pubang village under sadar sub-division in the hills

Bird flu has also been confirmed in adjacent gram panchayats one and two in Fulbari in Jalpaiguri district

The above comments describe four confirmed H5N1 outbreaks in two northeastern districts of West Bengal, Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri. These locations are near the border with Bangladesh, but are` also flanked by three national parks (Singalila, Neora Valley, and Gorumar) as well as two wildlife sanctuaries (Jorpokhri and Gorumara). See map.

To the south H5N1 has been confirmed in Malda in West Bengal, as well as Assam and Bangladesh, so outbreaks in these two districts are not unexpected. Last season, birds began dying in Birbhum in West Bengal in December and were confirmed in mid-January, which was followed by records numbers of confirmed H5N1 throughout West Bengal and Bangladesh including areas adjacent to the latest confirmations (see 2008 map).

This December, 2008 confirmation of H5N1 in Assam and Bangladesh suggested the outbreaks may be larger this season, so additional reports were expected.

.

 

[HenryN]

Re: West Bengal - Poultry (December 2008 -)

Re: West Bengal - Poultry (December 2008 -)

<TABLE dir=ltr cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=468 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=gulfBodyTitles style="PADDING-LEFT: 6px; PADDING-TOP: 10px" align=left>Fresh bird flu outbreak reported in West Bengal

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=gulfBodyTxt style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5px; PADDING-LEFT: 6px" align=left>KOLKATA: Health and veterinary workers culled poultry in a densely populated eastern state yesterday after a fresh outbreak of H5N1 bird flu, officials said.
The latest outbreak of the virus in poultry is the fourth in the state of West Bengal since 2007.
Bird flu first broke out in India in 2006. Millions of chicken and ducks have been culled since to contain the virus, but it has resurfaced from time to time. India has reported no human infections.
West Bengal officials said they had begun culling about 60,000 poultry after the fourth outbreak was confirmed yesterday near Siliguri town, bordering Bangladesh.
Culling operations in West Bengal to contain the third outbreak had ended barely a fortnight ago.
?We have sent 30 teams to kill chickens and ducks in the village where dead birds tested positive,? Surendra Gupta, a senior government official, said.
Hundreds of thousands of birds had also been culled in the northeastern Assam state and neighbouring Meghalaya after bird flu was detected in November. Experts have warned that the H5N1 virus might mutate or combine with the highly contagious seasonal influenza virus and spark a pandemic that could kill millions of people across the world.
According to the World Health Organisation, H5N1 bird flu has infected more than 390 people in 15 countries and killed at least 247 of them since the virus resurfaced in Asia in 2003.-Reuters
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http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topi...=264520&version=1&template_id=40&parent_id=22

 

[HenryN]

Re: West Bengal - Poultry (December 2008 -)

Re: West Bengal - Poultry (December 2008 -)

Fresh flu outbreak in N Bengal
4 Jan 2009, 0427 hrs IST, TNN

JALPAIGURI: Culling of chickens began in Matigara block in Darjeeling and two gram panchayat areas of Jalpaiguri's Rajganj block on Saturday
evening, a day after a bird flu outbreak was confirmed in Benoy Krishna Pally in Matigara.
Some 50 chickens have died in the locality over the past week. Samples sent to the Bhopal laboratory confirmed the presence of the H5N1 virus in the dead chickens. The Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri district administrations are working together to combat the latest outbreak of bird flu. Culling operations have been spread across a 3-km radius from the affected Matigara locality. This covers the entire Matigara block and the Phulbari I and II panchayats in Rajganj block.
The culling target has been set at 22,000 chickens. According to a rough estimate, the two panchayats in Rajganj block have about 10,000 chickens while Matigara block has some 8,200. But Siliguri SDO Sharad Diwedi said they have deliberately set a higher target as they fear the culling teams will find that a larger number of birds need to be culled as they go about their operation.
Around 30 culling teams of four members each, began work over the 3-km radius on Saturday evening, though culling was supposed to begin in the morning. This might again force the authorities to extend the culling deadline set on Sunday evening by a day.
Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling districts officials will meet on Monday to decide if mopping-up needs to be undertaken once culling ends. A large pit has been dug in Dabgram, on the banks of the Mahananda in Rajganj block, where all the culled birds from both districts will be buried.
Authorities have imposed a three-month ban on the purchase and sale of chickens in the affected areas. Vehicles carrying chickens and poultry products from these areas to other areas of both districts have been stopped.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...tbreak_in_N_Bengal/rssarticleshow/3933007.cms

 

[Shiloh]

Re: West Bengal - Poultry (December 2008 -)

Re: West Bengal - Poultry (December 2008 -)

Source: http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200901041612.htm

Culling begins in bird flu-hit Darjeeling

Siliguri, West Bengal (IANS): Authorities in West Bengal on Sunday began culling operations in the bird flu-hit Darjeeling and Siliguri subdivisions, officials said.

"A three-day culling operation has begun in the affected areas of Siliguri. Twenty-four teams comprising of a total of 200 veterinary workers have culled at least 100 chickens since morning," Sarod Dwivedi, sub-divisional officer of Siliguri, told reporters.

The district administration had on Saturday ordered the culling of about 60,000 poultry at Pubang in Takhdra of Darjeeling subdivision and Matigara in Siliguri subdivision.

Dwivedi said that authorities were not facing any resistance from farmers.

"People are willingly handing over their chickens to our workers. For the time being, each household is getting a compensation of Rs.500. But we will soon be having a high-level meeting to decide the compensation to be paid to poultry farmers and if any animal can be given in exchange of the birds," Dwivedi said.

In Darjeeling subdivision, nine culling teams started operations on Sunday.

Said Milan Halder, Deputy Director of Animal Husbandry Department of Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC): "Culling operations have started. Initially we have only nine teams, but the number will increase as and when required."

Culling operations will also be carried out in Phulbari of Jalpaiguri district, which comes under the radius zone.

Sale and consumption of poultry and poultry products have been banned in the affected areas.

Alarmed at the death of 80 poultry birds at Pubang in Takhdra of Darjeeling subdivision and 67 poultry birds at Matigara in Siliguri subdivision within a week, the district administration sent the samples to the High Security Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at Bhopal. One of the samples tested positive for avian flu.

The development came 18 days after bird flu struck Malda district in the State.

 

[HenryN]

Re: West Bengal - Poultry (December 2008 -)

Re: West Bengal - Poultry (December 2008 -)

Bird flu: Culling on in Assam, WB's Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling dists

Guwahati/Siliguri, Jan 04: Even as Assam might soon be declared a "birdflu free zone" after culling of poultry ends in Kamrup (Rural) and Nagaon districts, culling operations were on in Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling districts in north Bengal for the second day on Sunday.

<!--end of related-box-j-a-->Authorities in north Bengal banned the sale and consumption of chicken and poultry products with 10 km radius of the epicentre Benoy Krishna pally at Matigara near here.

Siliguri SDO Sharad Dwivedi said culling started at Rajgunj block of Jalpaiguri, Matigara block of Siliguri police station, 34 wards of Siliguri Municipal Corporation and at Pubung under Takda block of Darjeeling sadar.

Twenty-two teams of nine members each including two policemen are carrying out the operation.

He said there were reports of resistance from poultry farms at Gate Bazar near here and the culling teams had sought police reinforcements.

A total 21,000 birds were targetted to be culled within three km radius of the affected areas in the two districts, he said but did not specify any time frame.

Last night 126 birds were culled at Benoy Krishna Palli, the deputy director of animal husbandry department and in-charge of the operations, Rabindra Nath Ghose said.

Darjeeling District Magistrate Surendra Gupta had said Rs 50 lakh had been allotted for the culling operation.

Culling on in Kamrup (rural), Nagaon

Guwahati, Jan 04 (PTI) Assam might soon be declared a "birdflu free zone" after culling of poultry ends in Kamrup (Rural) and Nagaon districts.

According to official sources, culling operations were going on in the two districts while they have been completed in Kamrup (Metro), Nalbari, Barpeta, Nalbari, Dibrugarh, Bongaigaon and Chirang districts.

"After the culling operation in Kamrup (Rural) and Nagaon district are over the state will be declared a 'birdflu free zone'," a source said.

Nearly six lakh birds have been so far been culled in Kamrup (Metro), Nalbari, Barpeta, Chirang, Dibrugarh and Bongaigaon district.

The Centre had directed the state government to go for post operation surveillance programme in the areas where culling was conducted in accordance with the norms of the World Organisation of Animal Health.

Accordingly, deputy commissioners of districts where culling was over conducted the post operation surveillance programme and submitted sanitisation certificates to the Centre.

Currently culling operations are on in Chalchali and Gaonburachowk in Nagaon and Maniari Tiniali and Manahkuchi villages in Kamrup (Rural).

The authorities have been facing stiff resistance from the local people who along with poultry farmers are opposing culling by alleging that the compensation amount was not enough to meet the losses incurred due to the outbreak of avian flu.

http://www.zeenews.com/states/2009-01-05/496068news.html

 

[Commonground]

Re: West Bengal - Poultry (December 2008 -)

Re: West Bengal - Poultry (December 2008 -)

Assam and West Bengal in the establishment of bird flu alert

Jan 02, 12:42 am
Lkimpur, January 1: Malda district of West Bengal and Assam in the notice of the outbreak of bird flu on livestock department has been cautious. One day last year from West Bengal to reach Cuge Lkimpur were from Shahjahanpur. Dr. Pinki link DM Jovl monitoring the animal husbandry department has directed.

Dr. V. P. Singh, chief veterinary medical officer of the district veterinary medical directed that the poultry they keep watch on Hencri Prkshetron and private. Where to purchase grain and Cuge and they are also brought to the regular care. He said that the West Bengal district of imported grain Cuge and may not enter, for this special is being monitored.

Dr. Singh for the prevention of bird flu bio-security and clean - cleaning zone for the relevant information to owners of poultry and their parents to keep a list of vendors and medical instructions given to the animals are. Dr. V. P. Singh, chief veterinary medical officer has appealed a group of chickens die in the information to be hidden, but immediate notice to be given to the Animal Husbandry Department. He said that the place in the district - where the five serum samples each month for regular check-up is being sent to Pune. In Uttar Pradesh, where bird flu is not. Assam and West Bengal in the wake of the outbreak in the district is going Brti precaution.
Dr. Singh said bird flu in chicken, turkey, guinea Kaul, ducks and other birds are infected. Wild aquatic birds are carriers of bird flu. Veterinary and human health from the point of view of infection in poultry is very important. Pramukt bird flu in humans: is spread by eating infected poultry meat.

Bird flu to protect clean - cleaning is necessary. Infected birds died in the boiling water Dubokr pressed to go deep in the ditch. Poultry should burn houses of the bed.

 

[HenryN]

Re: West Bengal - Poultry (December 2008 -)

Re: West Bengal - Poultry (December 2008 -)

Commentary

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/01040901/H5N1_WB_Surveillance.html

 

[Giuseppe]

Re: West Bengal - Poultry (December 2008 -)

Re: West Bengal - Poultry (December 2008 -)

India: Culling operations continuing in Kamrup, Nagaon

Culling operations continuing in Kamrup, Nagaon

morungexpress
January 05, 2009 09:19:00
Guwahati, January 4, (PTI):

Assam might soon be declared a "Bird fly free zone" after culling of poultry ends in Kamrup (Rural) and Nagaon districts.


According to official sources, culling operations were going on in the two districts while they have been completed in Kamrup (Metro), Nalbari, Barpeta, Nalbari, Dibrugarh, Bongaigoan and Chirang districts.

"After the culling operation in Kamrup (Rural) and Nagaon district are over the state will be declared birdflu free zone" a source said.

Nearly six lakh birds have been so far been culled in Kamrup (Metro), Nalbari, Barpeta, Chirang, Dibrugargh and Bongaigoan district.

The Centre had directed the state government to go for post operation surveillance programme in the areas where culling was conducted in accordance with the norms of the World Organization of Animal Health.Accordingly, deputy commissioners of districts where culling was over conducted the post operation surveillance programme and submitted sanitisation certificates to the Centre.

Currently culling operations are on in Chalchali and Gaonburachwk in Nagaon and Maniari Tinali and Manahkuchi villages in Kamrup (Rural).

The authorities have been facing stiff resistance from the local people who along with poultry farmers are opposing culling by alleging that the compensation amount was not enough to meet the losses incurred due to the outbreak of avian flu.


Culling begins in bird flu-hit Darjeeling Siliguri, January 4 (Agencies):

Authorities in West Bengal on Sunday began culling operations in the bird flu-hit Darjeeling and Siliguri subdivisions, officials said.

"A three-day culling operation has begun in the affected areas of Siliguri. Twenty-four teams comprising of a total of 200 veterinary workers have culled at least 100 chickens since morning," Sarod Dwivedi, sub-divisional officer of Siliguri, told reporters.

The district administration had on Saturday ordered the culling of about 60,000 poultry at Pubang in Takhdra of Darjeeling subdivision and Matigara in Siliguri subdivision. Dwivedi said that authorities were not facing any resistance from farmers.

"People are willingly handing over their chickens to our workers. For the time being, each household is getting a compensation of Rs.500. But we will soon be having a high-level meeting to decide the compensation to be paid to poultry farmers and if any animal can be given in exchange of the birds," Dwivedi said.

In Darjeeling subdivision, nine culling teams started operations on Sunday. Said Milan Halder, Deputy Director of Animal Husbandry Department of Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC): "Culling operations have started. Initially we have only nine teams, but the number will increase as and when required."

Culling operations will also be carried out in Phulbari of Jalpaiguri district, which comes under the radius zone. Sale and consumption of poultry and poultry products have been banned in the affected areas.

Alarmed at the death of 80 poultry birds at Pubang in Takhdra of Darjeeling subdivision and 67 poultry birds at Matigara in Siliguri subdivision within a week, the district administration sent the samples to the High Security Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at Bhopal. One of the samples tested positive for avian flu. The development came 18 days after bird flu struck Malda district in the State.
-
​

<cite cite="http://www.morungexpress.com/regional/10979.html">Culling operations continuing in Kamrup, Nagaon</cite>

 

[HenryN]

Re: West Bengal - Poultry (December 2008 -)

Re: West Bengal - Poultry (December 2008 -)

Culling starts in Bengal districts


Siliguri (West Bengal), Jan. 4: Authorities in West Bengal on Sunday began culling operations in the bird flu-hit Darjeeling and Siliguri sub-divisions, officials said. "A three-day culling operation has begun in the affected areas of Siliguri. Twenty-four teams comprising of a total of 200 veterinary workers have culled at least 100 chickens since morning," Sarod Dwivedi, sub-divisional officer of Siliguri, told reporters. The district administration had on Saturday ordered the culling of about 60,000 poultry at Pubang in Takhdra of Darjeeling subdivision and Matigara in Siliguri sub-division.
The official said that authorities were not facing any resistance from farmers. "People are willingly handing over their chickens to our workers. For the time being, each household is getting a compensation of Rs 500. But we will soon be having a high-level meeting to decide the compensation to be paid to poultry farmers and if any animal can be given in exchange of the birds," the official said. In Darjeeling sub-division, nine culling teams started operations on Sunday. Said Milan Halder, deputy director of Animal Husbandry Department of Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC): "Culling operations have started. Initially we have only nine teams, but the number will increase as and when required." Culling operations will also be carried out in Phulbari of Jalpaiguri district, which comes under the radius zone. ?IANS

http://www.asianage.com/presentatio...india/culling-starts-in-bengal-districts.aspx

 

[HenryN]

Re: West Bengal - Poultry (December 2008 -)

Re: West Bengal - Poultry (December 2008 -)

<TABLE style="PADDING-LEFT: 10px" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width="100%">Bird flu spreads to Hills, culling begins</ARTTITLE>
5 Jan 2009, 0211 hrs IST, TNN
</TD></TR><TR><TD>

</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left><!-- google_ad_section_start -->DARJEELING: A day after culling operations began at Matigara near Siliguri, bird flu spread to the Hills, with officials confirming an outbreak of the dreaded poultry disease at Pubung, about 30 km from Darjeeling. Culling operations began on Sunday.

Sale and farming of chickens has been banned within a 10-km radius of Pubung panchayat in Takdah block. However, Darjeeling town itself is not under the purview of the ban.

The Bhopal-based High Security Animal Disease Laboratory confirmed the disease on January 2, but the news reached the district late and all through Saturday the administration got the teams together for Sunday's operations.

According to Darjeeling DM Surendra Gupta, over 700 chickens will be culled in two days.

The samples were sent to Bhopal after 35-40 chickens died mysteriously over the past week. "The high number of deaths prompted us to send the samples to Bhopal," said Gupta.

The test on the dead chickens confirmed the H5N1 virus and accordingly the state government was informed. The government issued a notification and instructed the district administration to carry out culling operations.


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

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...lls_culling_begins/rssarticleshow/3935316.cms

 

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: West Bengal - Poultry (December 2008 -)

Re: West Bengal - Poultry (December 2008 -)

Commentary

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/01040901/H5N1_WB_Surveillance.html

Commentary

Confirmed H5N1 in West Bengal Raises Surveillance Concerns
Recombinomics Commentary 17:05
January 4, 2009

Siliguri SDO Sharad Dwivedi said culling started at Rajgunj block of Jalpaiguri, Matigara block of Siliguri police station, 34 wards of Siliguri Municipal Corporation and at Pubung under Takda block of Darjeeling sadar.

The above comments provide more detail on the culling in the two West Bengal districts, Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling. As noted these areas on the outskirts of Siliguri are surrounded by national parks and wildlife sanctuaries (see zoomed map), strongly suggesting the involvement of wild birds in the spread.

However, the latest outbreaks are only 20-30 miles from international borders with Nepal, China, Bhutan, and Bangladesh, as well as Indian states of Bihar and Sikkim, suggesting H5N1 is in these locations also. However, only Bangladesh has reported recent H5N1 outbreaks, raising serious questions about surveillance in these adjacent regions (see expanded map).

The results this season are similar to last season. That outbreak was confirmed in mid-January and confirmed cases were limited to West Bengal and Bangladesh. There were no confirmed cases in adjacent regions (other than confirmation by China in Tibet). India did culling in adjacent regions, including Assam and Meghalaya, but there was no H5N1 confirmation last season, and only Assam has confirmed H5N1 this season.

The absence of reported H5N1 in these areas reflects poor surveillance or insensitive testing. Routine surveillance uses tests for antibodies, which are insensitive, and tests of cloacal swabs or fecal samples in areas frequented by wild birds, which are also less sensitive than nasphayngeal swabs or tissue extracts. India has yet to report a positive in a migratory bird and reported H5N1 in crows for the first time a few weeks ago, even though dead wild birds associated with dead poultry was widely reported last season in India (and confirmed in wild birds in adjacent regions in Bangladesh).

The H5N1 outbreaks in India and Bangladesh this season are likely to challenge the record levels reported last season, yet surveillance programs in adjacent areas reamain highly suspect.

.

 

[HenryN]

Re: West Bengal - Poultry (December 2008 -)

Re: West Bengal - Poultry (December 2008 -)

<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=articleheader>Ban on poultry in Siliguri
- 3500 birds culled till 9pm

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=articleauthor>OUR CORRESPONDENT</TD></TR><TR><TD class=story align=left><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width=172 align=left><TBODY><TR><TD> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=articleauthor align=left>Chickens being culled in Kamrangaguri in Jalpaiguri district on Sunday. (Kundan Yolmo) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Siliguri, Jan. 4: The sale of poultry and eggs has been banned within 10km of the bird flu-affected areas of Matigara. The entire Siliguri town and Rajganj block of Jalpaiguri district will come under the ban.​

“It will be implemented from tomorrow,” Sarad Dwivedi, the subdivisional officer of Siliguri, said at a news conference this evening.
The administration had announced the presence of the H5N1 virus yesterday after reports arrived from the High Security Animal Diseases Laboratory in Bhopal, which had tested the samples collected from dead chickens.
Matigara I and II, Champasari, Sukna, Atharokhai, Jalas and Patharghata are the gram panchayats where the avian flu has been detected. Besides, 34 wards of the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (out of 47) are also affected. Some of these wards are in the Rajganj block. The unaffected wards are from 21-24 and 35-43.
“Twenty-four teams, comprising five employees of the animal resource development (ARD) department, two staff members of the block concerned and an equal number of policemen, have culled 3,500 till 9pm,” Dwivedi told The Telegraph later. The culling will continue till midnight. The administration had set a target of 60,000 birds to be culled in the next few days.
Unlike in Malda, where culling teams had to face stiff resistance in several villages under Narhatta gram panchayat, culling here was peaceful and steady.
The bird flu scare from Friday had started affecting poultry sales from yesterday morning. The traders claimed that there has been a drop in the price of chicken in different markets across the town and its surroundings.
“We have been forced to reduce the price in different markets here to Rs 50-55 per kg. It usually varies between Rs 70 and Rs 80 per kg,” said Ratan Pal, the secretary of the Siliguri Poultry Byabsayee Samiti, which has more than 500 members.
Pal said the sale had been affected since the detection of the flu in Malda. “Since then, the state governments of Sikkim and Assam had banned the movement of poultry and eggs from the region.”​

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090105/jsp/siliguri/story_10343644.jsp​

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[HenryN]

Re: West Bengal - Poultry (December 2008 -)

Re: West Bengal - Poultry (December 2008 -)

Updated map

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=U...=26.985724,88.077393&spn=4.346236,6.37207&z=7

 

[HenryN]

Re: West Bengal - Poultry (December 2008 -)

Re: West Bengal - Poultry (December 2008 -)

Bird Flu: Poultry sale banned in Siliguri
Statesman News Service
SILIGURI, Jan. 4: With the outbreak of bird flu at Matigara, Phansidewa and the Rajganj blocks, the civil administration today put a ban on the sale and consumption of poultry items in Siliguri town.
As per the SDO Siliguri Mr Sharad Kumar Dwivedi, the ban has been imposed for an indefinite period beginning this noon and action would be taken for any violation. ?The ban is effective within a 10-km radius of the Binoy Krishana Pally, Matigara where the bird flu outbreak was confirmed first. This implies that major part of Siliguri town is under the ban,? the SDO said adding that the administration would undertake a publicity drive to make the public aware. According to him, the Siliguri wards 21-24 and 35-43 are not within the ambit of the avian flu as yet but the administration was keeping a cautious eye on these localities.
Culling
Culling of domesticated fowls in the bird flu hit Matigara and Phansidewa blocks in Siliguri subdivision and the adjacent Rajganj block in Jalpaguri district is progressing in a sluggish rate with mere 388 birds been culled until 5 pm today out of the total 18,000 target. The drive was initiated from 8 pm yesterday.
Culling operations have also begun in Takdah block in the Darjeeling Hills with a target of slaughtering 700 birds. All these four blocks were confirmed of bird flu infection late on Friday but the official notification for culling reached the district administration on Saturday morning.
According to the Darjeeling district magistrate Mr Surendra Gupta, altogether 24 culling teams are at work in the affected localities.The state government has in the meantime has provided Rs 50-lakh for the culling operations. The compensation against culling of a bird has been fixed at Rs 50 for layer and Ginny fowl, Rs 40 for broiler, Rs 75 for duck and Rs 150 for turkey.
In Siliguri, the civil administration has opened a 24-hour control room at Pintail Village resort at Dagapur for monitoring the bird flu situation and also the progress of the culling operations.

http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=10&theme=&usrsess=1&id=238983

 

[HenryN]

Re: West Bengal - Poultry (December 2008 -)

Re: West Bengal - Poultry (December 2008 -)

<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=articleheader>Ban on poultry in Siliguri
- 3500 birds culled till 9pm


</TD></TR><TR><TD class=articleauthor>OUR CORRESPONDENT</TD></TR><TR><TD class=story align=left><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width=172 align=left><TBODY><TR><TD> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=articleauthor align=left>Chickens being culled in Kamrangaguri in Jalpaiguri district on Sunday. (Kundan Yolmo) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Siliguri, Jan. 4: The sale of poultry and eggs has been banned within 10km of the bird flu-affected areas of Matigara. The entire Siliguri town and Rajganj block of Jalpaiguri district will come under the ban.​

“It will be implemented from tomorrow,” Sarad Dwivedi, the subdivisional officer of Siliguri, said at a news conference this evening.
The administration had announced the presence of the H5N1 virus yesterday after reports arrived from the High Security Animal Diseases Laboratory in Bhopal, which had tested the samples collected from dead chickens.
Matigara I and II, Champasari, Sukna, Atharokhai, Jalas and Patharghata are the gram panchayats where the avian flu has been detected. Besides, 34 wards of the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (out of 47) are also affected. Some of these wards are in the Rajganj block. The unaffected wards are from 21-24 and 35-43.
“Twenty-four teams, comprising five employees of the animal resource development (ARD) department, two staff members of the block concerned and an equal number of policemen, have culled 3,500 till 9pm,” Dwivedi told The Telegraph later. The culling will continue till midnight. The administration had set a target of 60,000 birds to be culled in the next few days.
Unlike in Malda, where culling teams had to face stiff resistance in several villages under Narhatta gram panchayat, culling here was peaceful and steady.
The bird flu scare from Friday had started affecting poultry sales from yesterday morning. The traders claimed that there has been a drop in the price of chicken in different markets across the town and its surroundings.
“We have been forced to reduce the price in different markets here to Rs 50-55 per kg. It usually varies between Rs 70 and Rs 80 per kg,” said Ratan Pal, the secretary of the Siliguri Poultry Byabsayee Samiti, which has more than 500 members.
Pal said the sale had been affected since the detection of the flu in Malda. “Since then, the state governments of Sikkim and Assam had banned the movement of poultry and eggs from the region.”​

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090105/jsp/siliguri/story_10343644.jsp​

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Manjima.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Manjima.jpg
A house in Siliguri


Siliguri is experiencing a rapid expansion of its population. In a 2001 India census,<SUP id=cite_ref-0 class=reference>[1]</SUP> the number of residents was 420,275. According to estimates for 2008, 559,275 people live in the city.<SUP id=cite_ref-1 class=reference>[2]</SUP>. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Siliguri has an average literacy rate of 70%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; male literacy is 75%, and female literacy is 65%. In Siliguri, 12% of the population is under six years of age.
Siliguri is a cosmopolitan city with Bengali, Bihari, Nepali, Marwari, and Punjabi people living peacefully. The Rajbanshi people, who originally owned most of the land, have decreased in population. Biharis, Gorkhalis, Marwaris, Punjabis and Bengalis are now the most prominent communities here. Bengali, Hindi and Nepali are the commonly spoken regional languages.
Siliguri has seen waves of massive immigration over the years. Most prominent being the illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, Nepal and migrants from Assam. In addition, people from Bihar and other parts of India are also coming to the city in search of livelihood. The influx has led to an abnormally high population growth.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siliguri