India, West Bengal: Bird Flu Outbreak

[Gert van der Hoek]

Bird Flu outbreak in North Dinajpur

RAIGANJ, 28 MAY: A Bird Flu outbreak has been confirmed in North Dinajpur district. Following the confirmation, the district administration has decided to cull more than 14,000 birds at Kasimpur, Kantore and Chhotokantar villages under Hemtabad police station areas.

The disease was detected following the death of about 300 country chickens in three days in the district. Officials of the animal husbandry department collected samples from bird carcasses and sent them to the flu detection centre in Bhopal. The samples have tested Bird Flu positive.

Speaking on the matter, the North Dinajpur district magistrate Mr Ramanuj Chakraborty today said: “Animal husbandry department officials have been told to start culling birds this evening. The district health officials have been ordered to visit the people of the affected areas and check on their health.” ; SNS

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[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: India, West Bengal: Bird Flu Outbreak

Bird culling fails, disease spreads

RAIGANJ, 4 JUNE: Residents of Kantore, Kasimpur and Chhotokantore villages in Hemtabad block of North Dinajpur are concerned as, even after culling and mopping, there are still several thousand birds in the Bird Flu affected villages which may be contaminated with the disease. Yet the North Dinajpur animal husbandry department has allegedly not made any response to the crisis.

After Bird Flu was detected in the area recently, the North Dinajpur animal husbandry department targeted to kill around 14,000 birds. This number later rose to 23,000. However, reportedly, there are another 3,000 birds in the villages. Everyday, ten to fifteen birds die of the disease. The villagers are concerned, as the culling effort did not do its job.

The pradhan of Hemtabad gram panchyat Mr Saifur Rahaman said: "After culling and mopping there are still around 2,000 birds in Kantore village. The culling teams did not check the houses of the village intensively during their work.

Flu-affected birds are still dying here everyday and fresh tension has spread in our village.

This problem was brought to the notice of the Joint BDO, Hemtabad, but no measure has been taken yet.” When asked, the deputy director of the North Dinajpur animal husbandry department Dr Sajal Bhuniya declined to comment.

The North Dinajpur DM Mr Ramanuj Chakraborty said: “The continuing presence of infected birds in such villages has been reported to us. After visiting the villages we will instruct the concerned department to take needful action immediately." ;

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