India - Bird Flu in Poultry/Animals Jan 24+

[HenryN]

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

Culling picks up speed in Malda
Statesman News Service
MALDA, Jan 27: The Malda district administration and animal resources development officials have been able to cull a total of 25,944 birds out of 80,000 in northern part of Malda district in the past three days.
Though the progress of culling was slow on the first and the second day due to villagers? resistance, the ARD officials have been able to collect 20,819 birds yesterday from the bird flu affected zone in Chanchal and Harishchandrapur blocks.
The Chanchal sub divisional officer, Mr Debasish Sarkar, said the administration has targeted to finish culling operation by Wednesday. ?We have targeted to cull about 50,000 birds (hens and ducks) by Monday. From Tuesday we will start mopping up the affected zone comprising 41 moujas?, he said.
Though villagers started an agitation and the culling teams were in trouble in eight villages, yet at present, locals are handing over their backyard livestock to ARD officials. ?At present the ARD officials are culling mainly chickens and ducks. The forest officials have not arranged for culling wild birds here," the Chanchal SDO said. According to him, there has been no mass mortality report of chickens in the affected zone and its neighbouring blocks. It has been learnt that doctors are doubtful about the reports which came from Bhopal. "We are getting healthy birds. I did not find a single ailing bird in the past three days from the identified zone of culling?, said Mr Chinmay Biswas, a veterinary doctor.
The deputy director Malda ARD, Mr NK ****, admitted the point and said: ?We are helpless. We will have to follow the direction of our authorities.?

http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=10&theme=&usrsess=1&id=187676

[sharon sanders]

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

<arttitle>Rural politics scores over flu fight</arttitle>
27 Jan 2008, 0138 hrs IST,TNN

SMS NEWS to 58888 for latest updates
MALDA: With the panchayat elections round the corner, electoral compulsions seem to have come in the way of culling in the bird flu-ravaged districts.

Panchayat representatives, though aware of the deadly virus, are not coming to the rescue of culling teams that have met with stiff resistance from villagers at various places in the district.

"We have launched an awareness campaign in the villages as the government wanted. But only that much. We aren't going to the households to put pressure on farmers to hand over their birds," said Immina Rahman, gram pradhan of Makdumpur.

Her leader Mumain Khan explained Immina's hesitation.

"You can sense the public sentiment. Poor villagers have nothing to fall back upon. Why should we go against them when the panchayat elections are months away?" Khan said.

For poor villagers, culling of their backyard chickens was as deadly as the virus.

"The chickens are our livelihood. How can I give them away?" said Jabinur Bewa of the Nadisik village under Chanchal-I. Jabinur and her neighbours were running away from the "murgi party" (culling team) all through the day, holding the sick chickens tight. Jabinur is no exception. This is regular scene in the villages ? Nadisik, Makdumpur, Gouria, Mobarakpur or Mahanandapur.

Sentiments apart, the paltry compensation to the villagers ? Rs 30-40 for grown up chickens ? acted as a deterrent to the culling operations.

"We are getting merely Rs 30-40 for each hen when my bird lays eggs regularly," said Dulli Biwi. That explains the slow progress of culling in Malda with the Rapid Response Teams far from the 80,000 culling target.

The teams have been attacked at eight places under Chanchal-I area because this is one place where day labourers depend on backyard poultry as a major source of sustenance. According to animal resources records, there are around two lakh fowls in the area.

Sabhadhipati of the Congress-run Malda Zilla Parishad Goutam Chakrab-orty also admitted the problem. "The avian flu is a huge setback for the rural economy. The culling of 80,000 birds will affect an equal number of villagers. A meagre Rs 30-40 for each bird isn't enough because the families won't get fresh chicks before three months," Chakraborty said.

Earlier, Union minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi fanned the grievances, saying that the compensation is too little. He held the state government responsible for the paltry amount. The state could have asked for more funds from the Centre, he said.

CPM district secretary Jiban Maitra, however, put up a brave front. "Why the resistance? The compensation is not worse than the present market price," he said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2734614.cms

[Theresa42]

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

17 cows die in W Midnapore
28 Jan 2008

MIDNAPORE: The death of 17 cows since Saturday night triggered panic at some West Midnapore villages.

With some backyard poultries falling prey to deadly H5N1 virus at a village in Debra block of the district, the villagers of Rajarbagan, Bisripat, Pathra, Hatihalka and Gobindopur are scared that now the avian influenza have affected their cattle. The samples have been sent for tests to a Kolkata laboratory. The district officials,however, feel that the cattle could have been affected by anthrax. The villagers got worried as several goats and hens were also found dead at the same time.

"The cows fell sick and died within 12 hours. We could not even take them to the animal husbandry office for a check up. With the bird flu having spread to these parts, we are worried that the cattles could also get affected," said Umed Mallick, a resident of Hatihalka village.

Himanshu Pradhan, the local livestock development officer said that the possibility of anthrax could not be ruled out.

"The primary symptoms resemble that of anthrax. The serum and blood samples have been sent for tests," Pradhan said. Though the avian influenza strain is known to affect animals like pigs, there are so far no indications of the virus having affected any other animal.

"Whenever we received information about any animals like goats having died in recent times, samples have been sent for tests. So far there is no indication to confirm that the avian influenza has been transmitted to any other animal," said Anisur Rahman, state animal resources development minister.

Be it anthrax or bird flu, the villagers are a worried lot. "The government should do something for us," said Moinuddin Khan, a villager.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/17_cows_die_in_W_Midnapore/rssarticleshow/2736260.cms

[Gert van der Hoek]

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

Aother report from Tamil Nadu, not West Bengal, but another State, South India.

225 dead fowls found

Monday January 28 2008 09:55 IST


THENI: About 225 dead chickens in a highly-decomposed state were found dumped in a dry stream near Bodi in Theni district for the last two days.
This caused fear among the villagers that the birds had died due to avian flu.

This was the second such incident within a week, as about 2000 dead chicken were found floating in a pool at Vellakaradu near Devadanapatti on January 23.

The stream was located in Melachokanathapuram town panchayat and the poultry farm owners in the area were suspected to have disposed the birds in the stream for the past few days.

The foul smell from the stream spread the entire area which brought the attention of the people nearby.

A special team led by Uthamapalayam Revenue Divisional Officer Siddar Mahalingam, Bodinayakoor Tahlisdar Moorthy and other local officials visited the spot and conducted an inquiry.

http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IET20080127233410&Page=T&Title=Southern+News+%2D+Tamil+Nadu&Topic=0

[Treyfish]

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

India: Bird flu continues to spread in West Bengal

Kolkata, 28 Jan. (AKI/Asian Age) - The deadly H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus has spread further in the Indian state of West Bengal with 13 out of the state's 19 districts affected.

The latest outbreak of the disease has been reported in Budge Budge, approximately 20 kilometres from Kolkata, the state capital.

The bird flu outbreak is a major setback to the state’s economy.

State animal resources development minister Anisur Rehman said that the state still had some way to go before reaching the target of culling 2.5 million birds. He said that two-thirds of the target had been achieved.

"The culling operation is expected to be completed by Monday if the numbers do not increase significantly," said Rehman.

Rehman said that the situation was under control and that the state government had deployed 1,014 culling teams. Culling operations have been completed in Nadia, Burdwan, Bankura and South Dinajpur districts.

The minister rejected the charge that the state government had not taken precautionary measures following bird flu outbreaks in 26 districts in neighbouring Bangladesh.

"We have taken steps as per the guidelines of the centre [the central government]. Joint teams of officials of the central and state governments had visited the border areas after the bird flu outbreak in Bangladesh," he said.

"We had also sent 3,516 samples of dead chickens for lab tests but the H5N1 virus was not confirmed," he claimed.

However, the minister admitted that the government had not anticipated that the virus would strike poultry in its own backyard.

Meanwhile, West Bengal health minister Surya Kanta Mishra said no clinically-suspected case of human infection has so far been reported.

"Seventeen human blood samples were collected and tested and not a single case was confirmed. However, we have ensured that all precautionary measures are in place and government hospitals have been put on alert," Mishra added.

http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Security/?id=1.0.1818059290

[HenryN]

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

New case of Birdflu in Murshidabad district</ARTTITLE>
28 Jan 2008, 1141 hrs IST,PTI

SMS NEWS to 58888 for latest updates
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left>KOLKATA: A new case of bird flu outbreak was reported from Shamsherganj block of virus-hit Murshidabad district on Monday even as culling teams fanned out in eight affected districts to start operations.

Murshidabad District Magistrate Subir Bhadra told reporters that new case of bird flu was reported from Shamsherganj block of the district. With this the total number of bird flu affected blocks in the district has risen to 10, Bhadra said.

Thirteen of the 19 districts of West Bengal have been declared bird flu-affected after West Midnapore and South 24 Parganas were declared affected yesterday.

Culling was over in Hooghly, Burdwan, Bankura, South Dinajpur and Nadia district.

Fifteen culling teams have started work in West Midnapore district. The teams are culling in the five-km radius of Chakbelcha village under Debra block of Kharagpur sub-division, District Magistrate N S Nigam told reporters.

The state government had sanctioned a sum of Rs 20 lakh for culling in West Midnapore, Nigam said.

Ten teams have been formed to cull chicken in Chak Kashipur area of Budge Budge in South 24 Parganas district, official sources said.

The target is to cull around 40,000 chicken. The teams where culling operations would be undertaken today are West Midnapore, South 24 Parganas, Birbhum, Murshidabad, Malda, CoochBehar, Purulia and Howrah district.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-2736929,prtpage-1.cms

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

[Diane Morin]

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

US Offers India Help In Containing Avian Flu

Monday 28th of January 2008

The US has offered technical advice and equipment to help India combat the deadly bird flu epidemic that has hit some districts of West Bengal, US ambassador David Mulford said here Monday.

'We are very concerned about the situation from a global standpoint. We have offered some technical advice and equipment to deal with the avian flu,' Mulford told reporters at his residence here.

On Jan 23, the US offered to help India's ministry of health and ministry of agriculture through the ministry of external affairs, the envoy said.

'We all hope this can be nipped in the bud. We offered help a few days ago,' he said.

Spelling out the specifics of the US offer, a spokesperson of the US embassy said the US can help India in checking the availability of Tamiflu dry syrup from worldwide stocks and provide technical support for human surveillance, diagnosis and preparedness.

The US has also offered technical support for animal surveillance, diagnosis and culling and to provide personnel protection equipment for the rapid response teams in West Bengal, the spokesperson said.

The US and India are global partners working together on influenza surveillance and share information and ideas about best practices to fight avian influenza and contain possible pandemics.

The Indian government is considering the US offer, an Indian official, who did not wish to be named, said.

'Specialists from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), based in Atlanta, are keeping a close watch on the situation. There is concern that the bird flu after it infects humans can become an epidemic,' an official of the US embassy, who did not wish to be named, told IANS.
Bird flu has spread to 13 of West Bengal's 19 districts. The disease has spread to 29 of 64 districts in neighbouring Bangladesh.

Avian flu experts fear the H5N1 strain found in both countries could lead to a pandemic, but there have been no reported human infections in India yet.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it is India's most serious outbreak of bird flu.

Over 1.5 million birds have already been culled since the deadly H5N1 virus hit the state earlier this month.

http://newspostindia.com/report-33851

[HenryN]

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

Bird flu spreads to fresh areas, culling target jacked up</ARTTITLE>
28 Jan 2008, 2015 hrs IST,PTI

SMS NEWS to 58888 for latest updates
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left>KOLKATA/NEW DELHI: Birdflu spread on Monday to fresh areas in two affected districts in West Bengal, after which the target for slaughtering of birds in poultries was pushed up to 27 lakh from 21 lakh.

In West Midnapore, where the avian influenza affected only one village on Sunday, the disease spread to 107 villages in Debra block, District Magistrate N S Nigam said.

In Murshidabad district, the disease spread to Shamsherganj block, taking the number of affected blocks to 10, District Magistrate Subir Bhadra said.

Animal Resources Development minister Anisur Rahaman said here that the culling target had been raised to 25 lakh from 21 lakh, with the day's target at two lakh birds.

In Delhi, Union Animal Husbandry Secretary Pradeep Kumar said that as per current estimate the culling target is 27 lakh.

In Coochbehar, the work of destroying chicken in affected Mathabhanga block I was preponed to today, to check its spead, Additional District Magistrate (Development) Pannalal Mahapatra said.

About 28,000 domestic birds had been destroyed in Dinhata blocks I and II in the district till last night by 50 teams in four gram panchayat areas. The culling target was 70,000 in the area, he said.

Culling teams sent to Chakbelcha and adjoining villages in West Midnapore district during the day faced stiff resistance from the people.

Later after the intervention of the sub-divisional officer and the additional district magistrate only 500 birds could be destroyed.

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

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/rssarticleshow/msid-2738493,prtpage-1.cms

[Shannon Bennett]

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

The following is quite disturbing.


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/C...ow/2736274.cms

Flu man-made, says Mamata


KOLKATA: The bird flu in Bengal is man-made, Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee alleged on Sunday.

Addressing the first meeting of Progressive Secular Democratic Front (PSDF), Mamata said that since November last year, the state government had the information that bird flu had broken out in some parts of the state. But it did not take any preventive step.

"CPM was sleeping at that time. Now that panchayat polls are round the corner, it has suddenly woke up." The party is playing politics with bird flu, she alleged. It’s part of a CPM conspiracy to ruin the rural economy. The flu has given the party leaders a chance to mint money.

[HenryN]

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

Commentary

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/01280804/H5N1_WB_Spread_Alarming.html

[Giuseppe]

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

Communist Party is at the centre of another crisis: anger of villagers for the construction of an industrial site for a car manufacturer company. Avian flu was expected to hit India as Bangladesh border is porous and - more important - wild birds fly more rapidly and by uncontrolled way. Anger and dispair hit current government of WB for many reasons, but 'flu is man-made disaster' seems to be a bit excessive. Undoubt that a better preparation in epizootics management could have averted or minimized current disaster.

[HenryN]

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

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>How do I know it's bird flu?

</TD></TR><TR><TD>Anger and anguish. Despair and desperation. Little did one know that India would celebrate its 58th Republic Day riding the crest of these emotions. Forget that India is fast earning the ignominious title of being the world's rape capital, that killing is the rhetoric of the times, what to speak of the frighteningly ever-widening gap between the filthy rich of Brand India and the depraved garib of Asli Bharat. Standing testimony to a callous, heartless and selfish country.
Epitomised by the worst outbreak of bird flu, the third since 2006. This time it has enveloped West Bengal and spread to neighbouring Bihar, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Maharashtra and UP. Even down south Kerala has sounded an alert. "It is horrible," confessed the hapless Bengal Animal Resources Minister. Is this enough? Does it condone and justify the State Government's delayed action, bad planning and mismanagement?
Think. From 15 December when it surfaced in Margram village, in Birbhum district, till date the State Government is still grappling with the enormity of the crisis and is clueless as to how to proceed. There is no evidence of civic authorities and public health officials attempting cleansing operations on a war-footing. Its culling record of birds is dismal --only four lakhs out of 20 lakhs. To top it all, villagers continue to feast on the dead chickens, their children play with the infected ones and many carry on selling them as it's a question of their livelihood. Characterised by "chickens die of various diseases, how do I know it's bird flu?"
The end result? Equipment and necessary tools sent by the Union government to the State to help set up isolation wards, simply gather dust. No one visited the village till 16 January, a month since its outbreak. And those who did had no clue what to do as they were not bird flu experts. A majority of the "health surveyors" were school dropouts with no medical training or experience. They had no testing equipment, not even a thermometer! Exposing the tragic fallacy of India. Spotlighting once again our cavalier and churlish attitude and approach to a crisis. Not just a crisis of character, but of crass casualness, which has become the touchstone of our present-day culture.
Besides, it also demonstrates that the real filth is more administrative and political. The point is not that just a few countries have banned Indian poultry and that airlines are no longer serving chicken but that it highlights the nation's inability to manage a crisis, dictated by a ki farak painda hai attitude. Many of the CPM leaders were busy attending the Party Conference in Kolkata, rather than overseeing culling operations in their districts.
Evidently, the administrative system has practically collapsed a long time ago --- not only in Margram, West Bengal but almost everywhere. Today, we face an extremely serious situation, socially and environmentally. There's a total urban and rural breakdown, unpaved roads, collapsing sewage and drainage system and abject poverty. We are at a stage where another crisis threatens.
Scandalously, the Indian Government spends less than one per cent of its GDP on public health care. A National Sample Survey Organisation study of village infrastructure in 2003 found that 54 per cent of villages were more than five km away from the nearest Primary Health Centre and 27 per cent were more than 10 km away. Only 10 per cent had a dispensary and only 20 per cent had a private clinic or a doctor.
According to the WHO, India has a national average of only 45 doctors and 8.9 beds for every 100,000 patients, with the levels far lower in the poorest States. Add to this the reputation of having the highest annual death toll due to tuberculosis, many dying from malaria, dengue and cholera, preventable and treatable diseases.
The country is ranked 127th out of 177 countries in the Human Development Index. According to the Arjun Sengupta report 70 per cent of our population survives on less than Rs 20 a day, living in appalling slum dwellings. Take Maharashtra, India's financial capital, which is plagued by lack of water and electricity. Its rural people live in densely-populated hamlets in close proximity to fowls and pigs, which they breed as additional food supplements. There is only one doctor for 28 villages with over 20,000 people. When he is away on call all is left to God.
Bird flu is only the latest in a series of reversals in public health hazards. Dengue, chikgunaya, malaria, gastroenteritis is all around. There is resurgence of Kala Azar and there is Japanese encephalitis, viral hepatitis and tuberculosis. Child mortality is on the rise. If a child doesn't die within five years from birth due to malnutrition and diarrhea, acute respiratory infections will get him later.
The Government can no longer bury its head in the sand. People are sick of hearing the same old refrain: "Don't panic...The Government is doing everything that is necessary...things are improving". They are tired of their netas going through the yearly ritual of 'see-touch-go' visits, of their State Governments knocking the door of the Centre for relief, of money and aid being freely bandied words. Appropriate noises, hollow concerns and instant remedies are made at crisis time. Enough to satisfy everyone's conscience that they have done their bit for the nation.
Perhaps, it is time for the Government to realise that economic liberalization without reforms in the social sector can become a bane. There are no short cuts possible. It is now imperative that the nation and its netagan rethink strategy and approach to safeguard public health infrastructure, establish fresh priorities, improve public hospitals. To foresee is to govern.
The country's image cannot be made or unmade by imagery alone. It is time to change the reality. Economic efficiency, social well-being, community upliftment are all different by products of a common collective endeavour. Education and public health are two other areas which have to be attended to on high priority if the nation is to accelerate its economic growth. Ravaged Bengal has exposed the total collapse of the administrative system and the frailty of our netagan. Remember, all crises are surmountable. What is insurmountable is damned casualness. That is the tragedy of the nation. Resigned to acceptance and lacking the will to fight. How long can this go on? Poonam I Kaushish, INFA
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

http://www.centralchronicle.com/20080129/2901301.htm

[Shannon Bennett]

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

Mixed messages to say the least.

Before tucking in





<TABLE width="100%" bgColor=#ffeeff border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>Health Safety is the best bet against the bird flu that?s making news on and off </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>





<CENTER>

Safe eating Chicken cooked at 74 degree Celsius or higher are very safe for you </CENTER>



Flu (avian influenza), now sweeping through West Bengal, raises troubling questions for the selfless Hyderabadi: will it alter the taste of chicken? Will eating eggs or chicken put me at risk?

First, the good news. Even in an outbreak zone, bird flu poses little risk for the consumer eating well-cooked meat and eggs. The bird flu (H5N1) virus cannot survive beyond 70 degree Celsius.
Influenza is not something to sneeze at. The Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 killed more people than World Wars I and II combined. If bird flu spreads among humans, the death toll could be much worse. Bird flu follows an aggressive course in most infected humans. Cough, breathlessness, multi-organ failure and death are the most common effects. Currently there is no vaccine or cure. The annual vaccine against human influenza will not prevent bird flu.
Who is at risk? Direct contact with infected poultry- especially during slaughter and preparation for cooking, or surfaces and objects contaminated by poultry faeces, is now the main route of human infection.
How can I safely prepare food for my family? In truth, no special precautions are necessary. The universal precautions for handling poultry- infected or not- are enough. Use a separate cutting board and knife for meat. Do not let the juices of raw chicken drip on other foods in the fridge. Wash hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling raw poultry and eggs. Wash cutting boards and utensils with soapy hot water. Hard-boil eggs. Cook chicken to 74 degree Celsius or higher.
How do I detect infected birds? This is the tricky bit. Illness in poultry ranges from mild symptoms like ruffled feathers and a drop in egg production to serious illness and death. Infected birds can even be asymptomatic. Avoid sick, dying and dead birds, especially wild and migratory birds.
Can drugs help? Not really. Oseltamivir (a.k.a Tamiflu) and zanamivir (a.k.a Relenza) have only marginal benefit in the early stages. Prevention is your best bet for staying alive. What are the best sources for information on this topic? The Centres for Disease Control ( http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/gen-info/facts.htm ) and the World Health Organisation ( http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/avian_faqs/en/index.html#isthere ) are the most authoritative, comprehensive and in-depth sources for the public.



<WEB></WEB>

RAJIV M.



<!-- Bottom Template Starts -->? Copyright 2000 - 2008 The Hindu

http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/t.../01/29/&prd=mp&

[Gert van der Hoek]

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

Bird flu: Culling teams rebel in WB

29 Jan 2008, 0149 hrs IST,TNN


NEW DELHI: A rebellion by health employees has created a hurdle in the culling operation in West Bengal.

More than 180 employees of the animal resources development department engaged in culling in the worst-hit Birbhum district left their work early Monday without informing superiors.

Government had earlier faced resistance to culling from villagers. Samples from Murshidabad's Shashergunj block tested positive on Monday, taking the number of blocks affected in the district to 10, the highest so far.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Bird_flu_Culling_teams_rebel_in_WB/rssarticleshow/2739148.cms

[Gert van der Hoek]

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

From Jammu and Kashmir, other State in India

BIRD FLU?

GK NEWS NETWORK

Srinagar, Jan 28: Jammu and Kashmir government has sent samples of two migratory birds, found dead in a wetland near the border, to Bhopal for bird flu tests. The import of poultry has declined after a drop in the local consumption.

However, veterinary expert Dr F A Kaloo says there was no report of any bird flu case from any part of the state. He said all measures have been taken to prevent transportation of any such virus into the state.

Dr Kaloo said two birds were found dead in Gharana wetland near the border in Jammu. However, official sources said half a dozen birds have died due to a ‘mysterious disease.’
‘’Nobody should draw a conclusion that birds have died due to bird flu. We have collected samples of the dead birds and sent them to Bhopal for tests,’’ he said, adding people should not panic.

Dr Kaloo said, ‘’We are waiting for test results and will act accordingly.’’ There was no question of bird flu virus reaching the state from West Bengal. There are several states in between which are still safe, he added.

He said constant check is being carried out at different places even though there was no case of bird flu reported from any part of the state so far.

We have organised awareness camps to make people aware about various ailment afflicting cattle and poultry birds including bird flu, Dr Kaloo said. He said so far the samples taken for bird flu were found negative and there was no need to worry. A check post has been set up at Lakhanpore, the gateway of Jammu and Kashmir, bordering Punjab, where doctors and other staff members of the Animal Husbandry department were posted to check poultry birds before allowing them to enter the state.

Similarly, check post has been set up at Qazigund, they said, adding that they have made all arrangements to prevent the virus to enter the state.
However, for precautionary measures the department has decided to impose ban on the movement of poultry during night when proper checking was almost impossible, they said.

Official sources said there was a decline in the import of poultry from other states during the past two weeks because of a drop in the consumption. More than 30,000 birds were being consumed daily in the valley. However, the number increases during festival and marriage season.

Fish was in great demand as most butcher shops remained closed due to shortage of sheep and goats.
To meet any challenge, the state health department has directed all Medical Officers in the state to remain prepared.
The health department has also directed all rapid response teams to be ready in case of any contingency, they said.

http://www.greaterkashmir.com/full_story.asp?Date=29_1_2008&ItemID=50&cat=21