India - Bird Flu in Poultry/Animals Jan 24+

[HenryN]

Centre to B'desh: What caused bird flu outbreak?
29 Jan 2008, 1917 hrs IST,PTI

SMS NEWS to 58888 for latest updates

NEW DELHI/KOLKATA: Poultry deaths in West Bengal have registered a decline, the Centre claimed on Tuesday indicating that bird flu virus was being contained as it sought information from neighbouring Bangladesh to help find out the source of the current outbreak. "Lesser number of birds are dying due to the disease," Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss told reporters in New Delhi after reviewing the bird flu situation. "We are confident that we would be able to contain the disease," he said. Culling operations were hit in bird flu-affected Coochbehar in West Bengal with workers demanding higher remuneration. There was no further spread of the virus in the state where 13 of the 19 districts have fallen prey to the disease. The Union Health Ministry has written a letter to the Ministry of External Affairs asking it to also seek details of the gene sequencing of the bird flu virus in Bangladesh. This would help in finding out the source of the current infection and also deal with any future outbreaks, the minister said. "Once we cull the birds and do away with them and if again the infection comes we need to know where it has come from," he said. Health Secretary Naresh Dayal said that the virus affecting the poultry in West Bengal was closer to the Maharashtra strain rather than the one found in the recent outbreak in Manipur. "We would like to track where it (the virus) has come from. It could be from migratory birds also," he added. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/a...,prtpage-1.cms

[HenryN]

India To Seek Bird Flu Strain Samples From Bangladesh

Tuesday 29th of January 2008
Indian authorities want samples of the bird flu strain in Bangladesh to see if the 'real root of the current outbreak' of avian influenza in West Bengal lies in that country.

'We have written to the external affairs ministry to request them to get samples of bird flu strains from Bangladesh. We will examine them and try to reach the root of the current outbreak in West Bengal,' Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss said after a meeting in the capital to review the bird flu situation in West Bengal.

West Bengal shares a part of its border with Bangladesh, which too has been affected by bird flu.

'We need to know from where it has come,' he said.

Health Secretary Naresh Dayal said the virus detected in West Bengal was somewhat similar to those found in Maharashtra in 2006, but not like those found from Manipur.

'We want to trace its origin,' Dayal too said, adding that migratory birds could not be wished away as the source of the outbreak in West Bengal.

Officials said the external affairs ministry was also requested to urge Bangladesh to direct its security men on the border with India to keep a vigil on the movement of poultry birds.

Animal Husbandry Secretary Pardeep Kumar said India's Border Security Force (BSF) has been asked to stop any poultry movement across the frontier.

An outbreak of bird flu in two district of West Bengal was confirmed Jan 15. Since then, 42 blocks and four municipalities in 13 districts have been affected by avian influenza.

The 13 affected districts in West Bengal are Birbhum, South Dinajpur, Murshidabad, Nadia, Burdwan, Bankura, Malda, Hooghly, Cooch Behar, Purulia and Howrah, South 24-Parganas and West Midnapore.

Meanwhile, four countries Nepal, Bhutan, Oman and Qatar have stopped importing poultry from India. Several states including Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa and Tamil Nadu too have stopped importing chickens from West Bengal.

http://newspostindia.com/report-34088

[HenryN]

Commentary

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/01..._Uva_Lake.html

[HenryN]

Government of India

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

Status Report on Avian Influenza in West Bengal

(28.1.2008)

Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries has notified Avian Influenza in poultry in two more districts viz. South 24 Parganas and West Medinipore. In the affected 13 districts, 42 blocks covering 2600 villages and four municipalities are involved. Out of these, 1027 villages are in 0-3 Km area where a population of 8,39,246 are under daily surveillance. 1998 cases fever/URI have been reported, 2 of which had contact history with poultry. There are 1573 villages in the surveillance zone of 3-10 kms where a population of 6,96,133 have been surveyed. There had been 1284 fever/URI cases none of whom had exposure history.

The district-wise details on surveillance and health related activities in 0-3 Km area and 3-10 Km area around the epicenters are as under:

· Birbhum District

Ø The surveillance teams are conducting active surveillance in 0-3 Km area and in 3-10 Km Zone in the affected blocks
Ø Out of a population of 3,40,021 in 0-3 Kms of the epicenters in these blocks 3,25,871 have been covered on daily basis.
Ø Out of a population of 5,04,125 in 3-10 Kms of the epicenters 1,66,844 have been covered.
Ø A total of 1407 persons [876 in 0-3 Km area and 531 in 3-10 km area] with fever/URI have been detected during surveillance. In the identified hospital 153 cases of fever/URI have reported. No one had exposure history to sick/ dead poultry.
Ø A total of 1759 animal health workers [veterinary surgeon, poultry workers, cullers, spraying workers etc.] have been medically examined/ followed up and 2 have been found unfit. All are under chemoprophylaxis.
Ø 822 Health personnel [medical officers, health supervisors and health workers] are involved in surveillance activities and they are also under cover of Tamiflu.
Ø No suspected human cases of Avian Influenza have been detected

· South Dinajpur District:

Ø In 0-3 Km area, out of a total population of 1,79,657 the teams have covered a population of 56,402.
Ø In 3-10 Km area, survey is conducted in phases. They have covered a population of 21,581.
Ø There had been 106 fever/URI cases [78 in 0-3 Km and 28 in 3-10 Km area]. None of them had exposure history.
Ø Three persons with fever/URI are under observation in the hospital. They are afebrile and responding to conservative treatment.
Ø Surveillance on Animal health workers who were involved in containment operations have been released. 187 Health personnel [medical officers, health supervisors and health workers] have been medically examined.
Ø No suspected human cases of Avian Influenza have been detected.

· Murshidabad District:

Ø A population of 1,73,622 in 0-3 Km area is under daily surveillance. In 3-10 Km area a population of 77,667 have been covered.
Ø There had been 110 persons with Fever/URI but only nine had exposure history. They are being followed up. They have no signs of lower respiratory tract infection.
Ø 16 persons with fever/URI have reported in the hospital. But none of them have contact history with infected poultry.
Ø A total of 2,333 animal health workers [veterinary surgeon, poultry workers, cullers, spraying workers etc.] and 364 Health personnel [medical officers, health supervisors and health workers] and 189 hospital staff have been medically examined. The personnel involved in the containment operations are under the cover of Tamiflu and are under medical supervision.
Ø No suspected human cases of Avian Influenza have been detected

· Nadia District:

Ø In 0-3 km area the teams have covered a population of 2,21,670
Ø In 3-10 Km area the teams have covered a population of 2,39,079
Ø A total of 906 persons [524 in 0-3 Km area and 383 in 3-10 km area] with fever/URI have been detected during surveillance. There is no exposure history.
Ø In the hospital 44 persons with fever/URI have reported of which two are under inpatient observation.
Ø A total of 1248 animal health workers [veterinary surgeon, poultry workers, cullers, spraying workers etc.] examined and they are under chemoprophylaxis. 5 of them have been found medically unfit. 660 Health personnel [medical officers, health supervisors and health workers] have been medically examined.
Ø No suspected human cases of Avian Influenza have been detected

· Burdwan District

Ø In 0-3 km area, out of a total population of 1,64,585 the teams have covered 1,41,645 persons.
Ø In 3-10 Km area, out of total population of 10,28,338 the teams have covered a population of 82,319.
Ø There had been 369 persons [181 in 0-3 Km area and 188 in 3-10 Km area] with URI/ Fever. None of them had exposure history
Ø 718 Health personnel [medical officers, health supervisors and health workers] have been medically examined.
Ø No suspected human cases of Avian Influenza have been detected

· Bankura District

Ø Surveillance activity has started in 0-3 Km and 3-10 Km area.
Ø In 0-3 Km area a population of 9200 has been covered
Ø In 3-10 km area a population of 11,222 have been covered
Ø A total of 63 persons have been detected [ 24 in 0-3 km area and 39 in 3-10 km area] with fever/URI with no exposure history.
Ø A total of 140 animal health workers [veterinary surgeon, poultry workers, cullers, spraying workers etc.] and they are under chemoprophylaxis. 18 Health personnel [medical officers, health supervisors and health workers] and 15 hospital staff have also been medically examined.
Ø In the area under surveillance no suspected human cases of Avian Influenza have been detected

· Hooghly District

Ø Surveillance activity has started in 0-3 Km area.
Ø In 0-3 Km area out of a population of 19,583 the teams have covered 4100
Ø In 0-10 Km area, out of a population of 33,483 the teams have covered 2250
Ø A total of 233 animal health workers [veterinary surgeon, poultry workers, cullers, spraying workers etc.] and they are under chemoprophylaxis. 41 Health personnel [medical officers, health supervisors and health workers] and 21 hospital staff are involved in surveillance activities.

· Howrah District

Ø Surveillance activity has started in 0-3 Km and 3-10 Km area.
Ø In 0-3 Km area a population of 38,626 and in 3-10 Km the teams have covered 29,342.
Ø 147 cases of fever/URI have been detected [113 in 0-3 Km area and 34 in 3-10 Km area].
Ø A total of 312 animal health workers [veterinary surgeon, poultry workers, cullers, spraying workers etc.] and 60 Health personnel [medical officers, health supervisors and health workers] are under chemoprophylaxis. .

· Purulia District

Ø Surveillance activity has started in 0-3 Km and 3-10 Km area.
Ø In 0-3 Km area a population of 8,036 and in 3-10 Km the teams have covered 2,967.
Ø 61 cases of fever/URI have been detected [45 in 0-3 Km area and 16 in 3-10 Km area].
Ø A total of 80 animal health workers [veterinary surgeon, poultry workers, cullers, spraying workers etc.] and 20 Health personnel [medical officers, health supervisors and health workers] are involved in containment operations and they are under chemoprophylaxis.

· Malda District

Ø Surveillance activity has started in 0-3 Km and 3-10 Km area.
Ø The surveillance data is awaited.
Ø A total of 385 animal health workers [veterinary surgeon, poultry workers, cullers, spraying workers etc.] and 438 Health personnel [medical officers, health supervisors and health workers] are involved in containment operations.

· States of Jharkhand, Bihar and Assam that share a common border with West Bengal have been instructed to ban and prevent any entry of poultry or poultry related products from West Bengal into these States. Other States have also been put on alert.

· MOHFW has supplied 4,20,000 capsules of Tamiflu, 5000 personal protective equipments, 5000 N-95 masks and 20 ventilators and 150 bottles of Tamiflu syrup.

· A stock of 10,000 Tamiflu and 500 PPE have been sent to the States of Assam, Bihar and Jharkhand.

· The IEC campaign in initiated by MOHFW as stated in the earlier reports is continuing.

· Central RRTs have been deployed to all the thirteen districts. Trained Rapid Response teams from Gujarat and Goa have been deployed to the affected areas. The team from Maharashtra has been assigned the task of reviewing the preparedness in the unaffected districts of Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling and North Dinajpur.

· The manpower under Pulse-Polio programme supported by WHO has been requested to conduct surveillance for reporting influenza like illness in the districts adjoining affected areas of West Bengal. This includes the bordering districts of Assam, Jharkhand, Bihar, Tripura and Orissa.

· The situation is being monitored on a daily basis.

http://mohfw.nic.in/Status%20Report%...-28.1.2008.doc

[HenryN]

Notified Areas earmarked under Avian Influenza in West Bengal (As on 29.01.2008)

Sl.
No
District

SubDivision

Block/
Municipality
Block wise
Population
Eradication
Area Remarks

Rampurhat

Rampurhat I

Dahalbati village 159,148 Entire area of
block
Notification No. 80-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 15.01.2008

Rampurhat

Rampurhat II

Margram I & II
village
158,756 Entire area of
block
Notification No. 80-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 15.01.2008

Rampurhat

Nalhati I,

Dharampur village 209,314
within a
radius of 3
Km of foci
Notification No.136-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 22.01.2008

Rampurhat

Nalhati II

Sahebnagar,
Krishnapur,
Prasadpur village
106,942
within a
radius of 3
Km of foci
Notification No. 80-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 15.01.2008

Rampurhat

Nalhati
Municipality

Ward no. 1-6
Entire area of
municipality
Notification No.136-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 22.01.2008

Rampurhat

Mayureswar I

Siulia, Kanachi,
Jabumi,
Baraturigram,
Ghoshgram, Pisia,
Jamaipara.
Sibagram village
under Dakshingram
GP
139,677
within a
radius of 3
Km of foci
Notification No. 157-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 27.01.2008

Rampurhat

Mayureswar II:

Akuni, Mayureswar,
Thanpara villages
113,031
Within a
radius of 5
km of foci
Notification No.152-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 25.01.2008

Bolpur

Nanur Block

:
Suchpur, Bhatier,
Baligunj, Sardanga
village
193,788
within a
radius of 5
Km of foci
Notification No.108-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 20.01.2008

Sadar

Mohammad Bazar

:
Dilogram village 139,478
within a
radius of 5
Km of foci
Notification No.108-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 20.01.2008

Sadar

Khoyrasole :

Barhra
village 135,101
within a
radius of 5
Km of foci
Notification No.152-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 25.01.2008

Bolpur

Bolpur – Sriniketan
Block

: Binodpur
village
178,111
within a
radius of 5
Km of foci
Notification No.136-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 22.01.2008
1

Birbhum

Sadar Suri I
:

Karimpur village 96,746
within a
radius of 5
Km of foci
Notification No.172-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 29.01.2008
2

Dakshin
Dinajpur

Sadar

State Poultry Farm

,
Balurghat 135,516
within a
radius of 5
Km of Farm
Notification No. 80-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 15.01.2008

Kandi

Khargram

Palasi village 234,715 Entire area of
block
Notification No.106-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 19.01.2008

Kandi

Barwan

Munaikhandra 224,312 Entire area of
block - do -

Kandi

Kandi

: Bagacharsa
village 193,093
within a
radius of 5
Km of foci
Notification No.152-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 25.01.2008

Sadar

Nowda

Durgar village 196,021
within a
radius of 5
Km of foci
Notification No.106-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 19.01.2008

Lalbagh

Nabagram

Saidpur village 196,565
within a
radius of 5
Km of foci
- do -

Jangipur

Suti I

: Chaksaidpur
village 139,419
within a
radius of 5
Km of foci
Notification No.108-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 20.01.2008

Jangipur

Sagardighi block

:
sagardighi village 252,360
within a
radius of 5
Km of foci
Notification No.108-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 20.01.2008

Sadar

Beldanga I:

Gangapur village 259,139
within a
radius of 5
Km of foci
Notification No.108-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 20.01.2008

Sadar

Beldanga II:

Junarapara village 212,171
within a
radius of 5
Km of foci
Notification No.155-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 25.01.2008
3

Murshidabad

Jangipur SD

Shamsherganj:

Sahebnagar village
under Bhasaipaikar
GP
180,319
within a
radius of 5
Km of foci
Notification No.157-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 27.01.2008

Katwa

Mangolkote Block

a) Durmud under
Koichar II GP
b) Simulia under
Simulia I GP
c) Deulia under
Magalkot GP
d) Mallikpur under
Lekhuria GP
e) Bhadimpur under
Jhiloo I GP
233,944
within a
radius of 5
Km of foci
Notification No.106-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 19.01.2008
4

Bardhaman

Kalna

Purbasthali II

Talbona village 188,149
within a
radius of 5
Km of foci
Notification No.106-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 19.01.2008

Asansol

Jamuria Block :

Hijalgora GP, 112,799
within a
radius of 5
Km of foci
Notification No.107-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 20.01.2008

Asansol

Ward No. 22

Jamuria
Municipality

Pariharpur village
129,456
within a
radius of 5
Km of foci
Notification No.107-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 20.01.2008

Asansol

Ranigunj Block

:
Amrasota GP
Bansura vill,
Majhipara, Suripara
village
101,678
within a
radius of 5
Km of foci
Notification No.107-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 20.01.2008

Asansol

Asansol
Municipality

: Ward
No. 33 Girmint
Village,
Kakhoyan village,
Bongapara village
486,304
within a
radius of 5
Km of foci
Notification No.107-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 20.01.2008

Katwa

Ketugram I Block

:
Palita GP, Kantari
village
146,013
within a
radius of 5
Km of foci
Notification No.107-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 20.01.2008

Durgapur

Galsi I

:
Krihnarampur village 174,070
within a
radius of 5
Km of foci
Notification No.136-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 22.01.2008

Tehatta

Tehatta I

Basanti Nagar village 217,541
within a
radius of 5
Km of foci
Notification No.106-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 19.01.2008

Tehatta

Tehatta II

Paschimpara,
Kannirgur village
134,113
within a
radius of 5
Km of foci
Notification No.106-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 19.01.2008

Krishnanagar

Krishna nagar I,

Simultala, Bakultala
village
280,254
within a
radius of 5
Km of foci
Notification No.136-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 22.01.2008

Krishnanagar

Kaliganj:

Baraitna
village 290,845
within a
radius of 5
Km of foci
Notification No.108-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 20.01.2008

Krisnanagar

Nakashipara:

Muragacha Village 334,863
within a
radius of 5
Km of foci
Notification No.136-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 22.01.2008

Kalyani

Haringhata

:
Subarnapur village 207,867
within a
radius of 5
Km of foci
Notification No.136-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 22.01.2008
5

Nadia

Kalyani

Kalyani
Municipality:

Harijan pally, ward
no. 2
82,135
within a
radius of 5
Km of foci
Notification No.168-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 29.01.2008
6

Bank
ura

Sadar

Saltora Block

:
Dahuka village 121,810
within a radius
of 5 Km of
foci
Notification No.108-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 20.01.2008

Bishnupur

Mejhia

: Lalbazar
village 76,117
within a radius
of 5 Km of
foci
Notification No.136-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 22.01.2008
7

Malda

Chachol SD

Chachal I

:
Mahanandapur
Village
174,177
within a radius
of 5 Km of
foci
Notification No.136-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 22.01.2008

Dinhata

Dinhata I :

Jaridahata village 254,449
within a radius
of 5 Km of
foci
Notification No.139-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 23.01.2008
8

Cooch behar

Mathabhanga
SD

Mathabhanga I:

Dighipur village
under Kurshamari GP
186,658
within a radius
of 5 Km of
foci
Notification No.157-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 27.01.2008
9

Hooghly

Sadar

Balagar

: Gopalpur
village 214,710
within a radius
of 5 Km of
foci
Notification No.139-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 23.01.2008
10

Purulia

Raghunathpur
SD

Santuri Block

:
Ramchandrapur
village
69,587
within a radius
of 5 Km of
foci
Notification No.152-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 25.01.2008

Sadar

Sankrail Block

:
Nalpur Majidpara
village
290,924
within a radius
of 5 Km of
foci
Notification No.152-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 25.01.2008
11

Howrah

Sadar

Panchla Block:

Uttar panchla village 213,846
within a radius
of 5 Km of
foci
Notification No.168-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 29.01.2008
12

Paschim
Midnapur

Kharagpur SD

Debra Block:

Chak bencha village
under Snarpur –
Lowada GP
255,220
within a radius
of 5 Km of
foci
Notification No.157-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 27.01.2008
13

South 24
Parganas

Alipore SD

Budge Budge II

Mallickpara village
under Kashipur
Alampur GP
173,446
within a radius
of 5 Km of
foci
Notification No.157-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 27.01.2008
14

North 24
Parganas

Basirsat SD

Baduria Block

Salua village of
Chatra Gram
Panchayat
247,638
within a radius
of 5 Km of
foci
Notification No.168-
AR&AH/AD/P/4A-
35/06 dt 29.01.2008

Total Population
Coverage

82,51,198

Summary of affected areas at a glance (As on 29.01.2008)

Sl. No. District Blocks Municipality Total

1 Birbhum 11 1 12
2 Dakshin Dinajpur 0 1 1
3 Murshidabad 10 0 10
4 Bardhaman 6 2 8
5 Nadia 6 1 7
6 Bankura 2 0 2
7 Malda 1 0 1
8 Coochbehar 2 0 2
9 Hooghly 1 0 1
10 Purulia 1 0 1
11 Howrah 2 0 2
12 Paschim Midnapur 1 0 1
13 South 24 Parganas 1 0 1
14 North 24 Pargans 1 0 1

TOTAL 45 5 50

* No additional block was notified today

http://www.wbhealth.gov.in/AI_downlo...ied%20area.pdf

[Muscade]

Help from any country welcome, says West Bengal

Special Correspondent


KOLKATA: West Bengal is open to offers from any country to provide technical know-how and vaccines that could bolster measures to contain the avian flu outbreak that has hit 13 districts.

“Any such offer, whether from the United States of America or any other country, is welcome but the decision lies with the Centre,” Minister for Animal Resources Development Anisur Rahaman told The Hindu here on Tuesday.

U.S. Ambassador David Mulford said in New Delhi on Monday that his country had offered to provide technical assistance and equipment to check the spread of the disease.

There was no report of any new district being hit. A report of some birds dying in a pocket of North 24 Parganas — one of the districts not affected by the disease — was being looked into, the Minister said. If the mortality rate was found to be unusual, poultry birds found within a radius of five km would be culled.

The government was not considering imposing strictures on the sale of chicken and poultry products in the city’s markets, though there was a week-long ban as a “precautionary measure” in the Bidhannagar municipality. The Salt Lake area lies within the jurisdiction of this civic body.

Mr Rahman said the source of the virus could be Bangladesh, “though it is for the Centre to ascertain the facts.” He pointed out that many of the affected districts were located close to the Bangladesh border. “About 15 countries have reported an outbreak of avian flu and Bangladesh appears to be the worst affected,” he said.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/01/30/stor...3054911200.htm

[HenryN]

Bird flu spreads to new areas in West Bengal

Wednesday, 30 January , 2008, 00:39

Kolkata: Bird flu in West Bengal on Tuesday spread to fresh areas in affected districts of Howrah, Birbhum and Nadia, while a large number of chickens died in North 24-Parganas which is still not among the 13 affected districts. Also read Keep your chicken bird flu free! Some quick facts about bird flu Bird flu: Full coverage In Howrah, poultry samples from Uttar Panchla village were tested positive at laboratory and fresh culling operation initiated within the 5-km radius of the area, District Magistrate Khalil Ahmed said. The administration had so far culled 1.5 lakh chickens in the district where bird flu had earlier been reported in two blocks — Sankrail and another village of Panchla block — in the past three days, he said. In Birbhum, samples from Alunda village in Suri block-1 of Birbhum tested positive and in Nadia district, where culling has been completed, it spread to Kalyani, official sources in the districts said. ##Ad## Animal Resources Development Minister Anisur Rahaman said the over 4,000 chicken died at Baduria in North 24-Parganas district, adjacent to Kolkata, with samples being sent to Bhopal. He said culling had been ordered in a 5-km radius of the fresh affected areas. In Nadia district, it spread to Kalyani with reports from Harijan pally Ward number 2. Culling would begin from Wednesday, he said. A total of 25 lakh chicken had been culled all over the State, Rahaman said. "The target may be little higher considering the fresh outbreak, but we have asked the districts to complete culling by (Wednesday)," Rahaman said. The State government also sought information from Bangladesh on the strains of the avian influenza to source the origin of the viral infection.

http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14596867

[Laidback Al]

As noted 14 of the 18 Districts in West Bengal have outbreaks of H5N1.
Here is a current map.

[HenryN]

Commentary at

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/01..._Parganas.html

[HenryN]

Flu now hits poultry farms Express news service Posted online: Wednesday, January 30, 2008 at 2256 hrs IST KOLKATA, JANUARY 29 West Bengal’s avian flu epidemic has spread from backyard poultry to the organised sector and entered a new district, North 24 Parganas, where 3,500 chicken were found dead in a poultry farm in Baduria, barely 25 km from Kolkata. Animal Resources Development Minister Anisur Rahman said samples from North 24 Parganas have been sent to the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory in Bhopal and culling started within a five-km radius of the farm. “Following today’s discovery, we will have to revise our culling target as the bird flu has moved into a new district,” Rahman said. Tuesday’s report was the first occurrence of large-scale deaths in a poultry farm. With the chicken deaths being reported from North 24 Parganas, Kolkata is now surrounded by bird flu affected districts. At Tuesday’s meeting of the state cabinet, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee impressed upon his colleagues the seriousness of the situation. The CM also advised Rahaman to keep in touch with the Union Government. “I have spoken to Central officials about preventive measures. They have told me that there is a vaccine for the chicken but it cannot be used as the birds have already become carriers,” he said after the meeting. The Minister added that the Chief Secretary was following up the US Government’s offer of help. However, in New Delhi, the Union Government said West Bengal has intimated it that no further support was needed from the Centre at this stage. “The Resident Commissioner clearly stated in the meeting that there was no further support needed,” said a release issued after a meeting called by the Union Health Minister to review the situation. The Centre said the infection has spread to some new areas in the already affected Howrah and Birbhum districts, though the outbreak was restricted to small areas. “It is gathered that the infection is not over a wide area but restricted to small pockets,” the release said. Given the established norms that all poultry in regions close to affected areas need to be culled, the rapid response teams engaged in the field culled about 2.38 lakh birds on Monday taking the total number of culled birds to 21.68 lakh. (With ENS in New Delhi) http://www.indianexpress.com/printer...ly/266751.html

[HenryN]

'Bird flu virus similar to one that hit Maharashtra'
30 Jan 2008, 0225 hrs IST,Kounteya Sinha,TNN

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NEW DELHI: The H5N1 virus, presently wreaking havoc in West Bengal, is similar to the one that hit Nawapur in Nandurbar district of Maharashtra in February 2006. Scientists from the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, who have completed gene sequencing of the H5N1 virus isolated from West Bengal, have told the Union health ministry in an official report submitted on Tuesday, that the virus is the highly virulent Asian strain similar to the one circulating in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Speaking to TOI , health secretary Naresh Dayal said: "The scientists, in their report, said that the virus is different from the strain that hit Manipur in 2007. The Manipur virus was more the Indonesian type. The present virus is highly infectious like the Maharashtra strain." This finding has now made the Union health ministry request the external affairs ministry to ask Bangladesh to share the genetic history and information of the virus that has affected one-third of the districts in the neighbouring country. Because of the proximity of West Bengal's bird flu affected areas to Bangladesh, India feels the virus may have entered this country through the illegal poultry trade. Dayal said: "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 added: "That Bangladesh is our source of infection is till now just a matter of conjecture since Bangladesh has been seeing an uncontrolled outbreak of H5N1 since March. This has made us take for granted that the virus came from Bangladesh. However, unless we compare gene sequencing of the two types we can't say that definitely. "We want Bangladesh to share information about the virus so that we can undertake its gene sequence and know the source of our outbreak. We don't want to manipulate the virus and make vaccines out of it," he added. Influenza A subtype H5N1 is the one that can cause illness in humans and other animal species. While HA is found on the surface of the influenza virus and is responsible for binding the virus to the cell that is being infected, NA is an enzyme found on the surface of the virus that facilitates the release of progeny viruses from infected cells. TOI reported on January 27 that India feared the outbreak in Bangladesh was far worse that what was being actually reported by its government. The need to get the neighbouring country to be more transparent in the control and containment operations of the disease was also getting louder in India. kounteya.sinha@timesgroup.com http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/a...,prtpage-1.cms

[HenryN]

Flu: Central order flouted
Pranesh Sarkar
KOLKATA, Jan. 29: Though the state government shrugged off the Centre’s allegation that its failure allowed the avian flu virus to spread rapidly in West Bengal, it has become clear that the state’s reluctance to follow Central guidelines in November 2006 has helped the H5N1 virus to spread to 13 districts. The guideline, styled as action plan for preparedness, control and containment of avian influenza, was sent to all state governments including West Bengal in November, 2006 by the Union ministry of agriculture to stop spread of the virus and prevent the situation from getting worse.
But it was evident that the state government did not take appropriate measures as directed in the action plan when unnatural deaths of birds were reported at Margram in Birbhum where the virus had hit first.
The negligence of the state was first evident when the local authorities sent samples to the high security Animal Disease Laboratory in Bhopal on 11 January. But villagers had informed the authorities on 4 January of unnatural deaths of poultry birds in the villages of Margram. But the action plan clearly mentioned that in case of a suspicion of outbreak of avian influenza such as receipt of any preliminary report regarding unusual sickness or above average mortality of poultry, the chief veterinary officer or district animal husbandry officer shall visit the place immediately and not later than 24 hours and samples must be collected and a special messenger should leave for Bhopal within 24 hours after the officials reach the spot. But here it took seven days to send the samples to Bhopal.
A few steps have been recommended after sending the samples and pending receipt of the test result, like cordoning off the suspected area, imposing ban on movement of poultry, dead birds, eggs from the suspected area, farm personnel should be advised to wear protective clothing, movement of people to and from the suspected area before the test results are received, the possibility of closing the markets and shops of the area may be explored by the district authorities.
But none of these steps was initiated between 11 January when the samples were sent and 15 January when presence of H5N1 virus was confirmed. Villagers were seen selling and handling birds without any precaution and movement of poultry birds, eggs were also not restricted. However, not only delay in reacting in the post bird flu outbreak situation, slackness of the state was witnessed in the post outbreak period too. The action plan strongly recommended that manpower has to be mobilised to ensure that control operations are started immediately after notification of bird flu, it was witnessed that the state was struggling to arrange manpower to set up the required number of rapid response teams. The delay helped the virus spread further. The state also failed to impose a ban on movement of poultry in the area as directed in the guideline. The villagers were seen selling their birds in the local cattle markets even after bird flu was notified.
Editorial: Bengal’s ailment, page 6

http://www.thestatesman.net/page.new...ss=1&id=187843

[Shannon]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/r...,prtpage-1.cms

Bird flu spreads to urban areas
30 Jan 2008, 0215 hrs IST,TNN

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KOLKATA: State officials may be patting their backs for completing culling in bird flu affected districts but the dreaded H5N1 virus has struck back by hitting urban areas. Bird flu was confirmed in new sites on Tuesday evening — Kalyani municipality and Kanchrapara gram panchayat in Nadia, a village in Birbhum's Suri block-I and Howrah's Panchla and Sankrail. Both districts had announced that culling was nearly complete and the new outbreak has come as a shock. In Kolkata, the health department had a harrowing time after a member of the culling team in Budge Budge, South 24-Parganas, was admitted to MR Bangur hospital with suspected bird flu. Blood samples of Dipankar Dey were sent for tests to three labs. "All came back negative. He is suffering from an infection of the upper respiratory tract," said Sanchita Bakshi, director health services. Culling has been ordered in Baduria, North 24-Parganas, after half the stock of poultry died at a farm. The government decided not to wait for the test reports from Bhopal, said animal resources development minister Anisur Rahman. He refuted corruption charges pressed against some culling officials but admitted that the state had lodged a police complaint against staff who left midway through the culling operation in Birbhum without informing their superiors. In Midnapore town, there was panic after seven goats dropped dead. The owner claimed he had buried the animals but couldn't show the burial place raising fear that the infected meat was sold. In Nadia, samples sent from Harijanpara, a densely-populated area in Kalyani town, tested positive. "We were nearly through with the culling operation but the virus has spread to Kalyani. We will take similar action there. Culling will be carried out in parts of Chakda block as well," said Nadia DM Omkar Singh Meena. The bird flu situation came up for discussion at the state cabinet meeting on Tuesday where chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee expressed concern about the source of the virus that affected 13 districts of the state. Birbhum DM T K Som confirmed that bird flu had been confirmed in Suri's Alumda village. "This area is within five km of Suri town, so we have decided to cull chickens in the municipality area also. The operation will start on Wednesday," Som said. Fresh samples have been sent from Malda's Kaliachak-III block. Home secretary Prasad Ranjan Ray said the US Consulate had offered help to tackle the outbreak. "The decision rests with the Centre. A high alert has been issued in the areas along the India-Bangladesh border," Ray said.

[HenryN]

Bird flu spreads to urban areas
30 Jan 2008, 0215 hrs IST,TNN

SMS NEWS to 58888 for latest updates

KOLKATA: State officials may be patting their backs for completing culling in bird flu affected districts but the dreaded H5N1 virus has struck back by hitting urban areas. Bird flu was confirmed in new sites on Tuesday evening — Kalyani municipality and Kanchrapara gram panchayat in Nadia, a village in Birbhum's Suri block-I and Howrah's Panchla and Sankrail. Both districts had announced that culling was nearly complete and the new outbreak has come as a shock. In Kolkata, the health department had a harrowing time after a member of the culling team in Budge Budge, South 24-Parganas, was admitted to MR Bangur hospital with suspected bird flu. Blood samples of Dipankar Dey were sent for tests to three labs. "All came back negative. He is suffering from an infection of the upper respiratory tract," said Sanchita Bakshi, director health services. Culling has been ordered in Baduria, North 24-Parganas, after half the stock of poultry died at a farm. The government decided not to wait for the test reports from Bhopal, said animal resources development minister Anisur Rahman. He refuted corruption charges pressed against some culling officials but admitted that the state had lodged a police complaint against staff who left midway through the culling operation in Birbhum without informing their superiors. In Midnapore town, there was panic after seven goats dropped dead. The owner claimed he had buried the animals but couldn't show the burial place raising fear that the infected meat was sold. In Nadia, samples sent from Harijanpara, a densely-populated area in Kalyani town, tested positive. "We were nearly through with the culling operation but the virus has spread to Kalyani. We will take similar action there. Culling will be carried out in parts of Chakda block as well," said Nadia DM Omkar Singh Meena. The bird flu situation came up for discussion at the state cabinet meeting on Tuesday where chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee expressed concern about the source of the virus that affected 13 districts of the state. Birbhum DM T K Som confirmed that bird flu had been confirmed in Suri's Alumda village. "This area is within five km of Suri town, so we have decided to cull chickens in the municipality area also. The operation will start on Wednesday," Som said. Fresh samples have been sent from Malda's Kaliachak-III block. Home secretary Prasad Ranjan Ray said the US Consulate had offered help to tackle the outbreak. "The decision rests with the Centre. A high alert has been issued in the areas along the India-Bangladesh border," Ray said. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/r...,prtpage-1.cms

[HenryN]

Commentary

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/01...ore_Goats.html

[HenryN]

Eastern states go on bird flu alert Published: Wednesday, 30 January, 2008, 01:37 AM Doha Time

Health workers cull chickens in Birlapur village, about 20km south of Kolkata yesterday NEW DELHI: Orissa and Bihar yesterday stepped up measures to prevent the possible spread of avian influenza from neighbouring West Bengal, as did north-eastern states Manipur and Nagaland, media reports said. Both West Bengal state and neighbouring Bangladesh have reported widespread occurrence of bird flu since early January. The state government said yesterday that the disease was contained in 13 of its 19 districts and that no new cases had been reported. “We have already reached our target to cull nearly 2.2mn chickens across all bird flu-affected districts. But some more chickens would also be culled in two newly affected districts - South 24-Parganas and West Midnapore - within next two days,” West Bengal Animal Resource Development Minister Anisur Rahman had said on Monday. South 24-Parganas borders West Bengal capital Kolkata, a densely populated city of more than 13mn inhabitants. Municipal authorities had posted surveillance teams in the suburbs to check for infected birds and sale of poultry had been banned in some markets seen as high-risk, PTI news agency reported. The H5N1 virus had been confirmed in a village about 13km west of Kolkata. A total of more than 125,000 poultry birds had died of the disease in West Bengal by Sunday, a federal Ministry of Agriculture release said. As sales of chickens and eggs dropped drastically across India, the ministry said it was safe to eat cooked poultry and poultry products in areas not affected by the disease. Birds brought in from West Bengal were being buried alive in Orissa, NDTV television channel reported. Orissa’s borders with West Bengal’s affected districts had been sealed and orders issued to stop entry of birds and eggs from the neighbouring state. Teams of veterinarians had been sent to immunize chickens at poultry farms along the order in Mayurbhanj, Baleswar and Sundargarh districts. Similar steps were being taken in Bihar. The governments of Nagaland and Manipur had also increased surveillance of all poultry products coming in from neighbouring states and were keeping a watch on migratory birds. Rapid-response teams had been constituted in case of any outbreak of the disease. India has seen three outbreaks of bird flu in poultry since 2006. Cases of bird flu were last detected in Manipur in 2007. All the outbreaks were brought under control. – DPA http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topic...0&parent_id=22

[HenryN]

Bird flu continues to spread in West Bengal
Web posted at: 1/30/2008 1:36:27
Source ::: IANS

new delhi • Bird flu continued to spread in West Bengal, and the virus was confirmed in three more blocks of Birbhum and Howrah districts though the state government said the situation was "under control".
"As per the latest report received from the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory, Bhopal (Tuesday morning), samples collected from Panchla block of Howrah district, Suri-I, Mayureswar-I and Nanoor blocks of Birbhum have tested positive for avian influenza," the union agriculture ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said that bird flu has been confirmed in the Kalyani municipality of Nadia district.
"It is gathered that the infection in new areas is not over a wide area but restricted to small pockets," the statement added.
The union health ministry said that in West Bengal a total of 42 blocks covering 2,600 villages and four municipalities were under surveillance. So far 1,998 cases of fever have been reported from the state, of which two people had a history of contact with poultry.
"Health workers are keeping a close watch on the situation. There has been no human infection so far," Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss said in the capital.
In spite of the flu spreading to new areas, West Bengal Tuesday said it had received only one report of chicken deaths in a district adjoining Kolkata since Monday.
"There has been no report of any death of chickens in the state except for one at Baduria under North 24-Parganas district since Monday," West Bengal Animal Resource Development (ARD) Minister Anisur Rahman said.
"The ARD team has been sent to Baduria where bird deaths were reported from a private farm. If they are found unnatural, we will collect the samples for test and also start culling there," he said.
North 24-Parganas was so far unaffected by bird flu which has erupted in 13 of the 19 West Bengal districts.
Rahman said culling was continuing at Kashipore and Alampur panchayat areas of South 24-Parganas district, about 15 km from Kolkata.
While West Bengal has already culled 2.2 million poultry since the outbreak was confirmed Jan 15, Rahman said: "The situation is still a little worrying." "But the menace is now under control and the overall situation is improving," he said.
The 13 bird flu affected districts in West Bengal are Birbhum, South Dinajpur, Murshidabad, Nadia, Burdwan, Bankura, Malda, Hooghly, Cooch Behar, Purulia and Howrah, South 24-Parganas and West Midnapore. Bird flu was first detected in two districts - Birbhum and South Dinajpur - of West Bengal.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has described the bird flu outbreak in West Bengal as "serious".
Meanwhile, over 3,000 chickens were found dead in a ditch in Theni district, 30 km west of Madurai in Tamil Nadu. However, a government spokesman said: "There is no indication of bird flu at all." The state government said starvation was the cause of the deaths. Theni is 120 km west of Karur, the poultry centre of Tamil Nadu.
http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Dis...8013013627.xml

[HenryN]

Bird flu: Holes in govt’s claim of sealed entry points
No special squad can be seen at Ultadanga and Howrah — two of the most vital entry points to the city for all kinds of poultry products
Express news service
Posted online: Wednesday, January 30, 2008 at 0203 hrs IST
Kolkata, January 29
With North and South 24 Parganas also joining the list of the bird flu-affected districts of the state, Kolkata is almost encircled by the virus. The ministries concerned and the Kolkata Police claimed that all the entry points to the city have been sealed for poultry products, but a reality check by The Indian Express exposes a porous security set-up.
Several markets in Kolkata reported regular and steady supply of poultry products. “Takers of poultry products are, of course, on the decline, forcing us to reduce our intake. Till date, no enforcement agency has come to us inquiring about bird flu or the supply chain. Only private poultry suppliers came to give us leaflets that say people can eat chicken and eggs after proper boiling,” said Gurupada Das, who has been running an egg stall in Hatibagan Market.
Shyamal Sarkar, who sells chicken on a pavement at Ultadanga, said: “Sale is affected, but it has not stopped completely. I am selling chicken for Rs 25 per kilogram. Some people are buying because it is cheap.” He was seen squatting with two baskets full of chicken.
Chicken was available in most markets and retail outlets. No surveillance team of the Kolkata Police could be found at any entry point. The much-hyped combat plan that was announced on Monday seemed to be still “on paper”.
The West Bengal Poultry Association, meanwhile, objected to the plan of the Kolkata Police to seal all entry points. Pleading anonymity, a spokesperson said the move would only broaden the police’s extortion network.
The state government has banned the entry of chickens and eggs from all quarters, barring the 12 poultry firms in the city. On Monday, the state government asked the Kolkata Police to mount the surveillance and implement the restrictions. The police announced a blueprint that included posting of special squads at the entry points, carrying out raids in city markets and other necessary steps.
When The Indian Express team visited Ultadanga and Howrah, no special squad could be seen.
At Ultadanga, only one traffic constable was seen manning the busy road intersections. When asked if he caught any consignment of poultry products entering the city, he sounded completely clueless. He said no instruction regarding interception of poultry products had been issued to him.
“I do not know if any such team is monitoring chicken supply. I have not been given any such order,” he said.
The Kolkata Police have earmarked 13 entry points — Howrah Bridge, Ultadanga crossing, second Hooghly Bridge, Prince Anwar Shah Road, Bijon Setu among others — which are to be manned by its men along with officers of the traffic department. Another set of team comprising officials of the KMC and enforcement branch are scheduled to conduct raids.
The teams are to check vehicles carrying chicken and poultry for proper documents, including vehicle chalan, a self declaration certificate claiming that the birds are flu free, and chalan for the chicken, clearly stating their origin and destination.
“We have received the government order on Monday. The teams have been set up, which will take some time to be fully operational. We have directed the enforcement branch to conduct joint raids with the civic body,” said G M Chakraborty, Kolkata Police chief.
“We are doing our best. We have drawn up a detailed plan, in cooperation with the KMC. Our checkpoints are being manned,” said Chanchal Dutta, DC (Enforcement Branch) and nodal officer for combating bird flu.

http://www.indianexpress.com/printer...ly/266980.html

[HenryN]

Flu scare sparked off in Kaliachak III
Statesman News Service
MALDA, Jan 29: A team of doctors from National Institute of Communicable Diseases, New Delhi, has found many ailing birds with symptoms like Bird Flu at two villages in Kaliachak III block today and instructed the district administration to collect blood samples for its confirmation, the district administrative officials said.
The team led by the joint director, NICD, visited two blocks Kaliachak I and III, close to Bangladesh border, and held a meeting with the district officials. The team will visit other blocks, including Harishchandrapur and Chanchal, where the culling operation is going on after detection of Bird Flu virus.
The Malda SDO, Ms Arunima De, instructed the animal resources development officials for collecting blood samples from the ailing birds identified by the team at two villages.
“The ARD officials have been requested to visit the spot for collecting blood samples. The ARD team has already arrived at the spot today," said Ms. De.
The Malda SDO held a meeting with concerned block development officers to know the situation of Bird Flu situation. The BDOs have been instructed to report any fresh out break of Bird Flu like incident as soon as possible so that administration can take necessary steps immediately.
The state minister of forests Mrs Bilasi Bala Sahis and other forest officials today visited Tilason forest and a water body in Habibpur, close to Indo-Bangladesh border, where migratory birds come from different areas.
The Malda divisional forest officer, Mr Rajendra Jakhar, said: “We are closely watching migratory birds in Malda forests and water bodies and every day we are sending report to the higher authorities”.
“But we did not found any ailing and dead migratory birds till date”, Mr. Jakhar claimed.
The divisional forest officer Mr Jakhar also said: “There is no bird flu symptom in wild bird life in this district. When there is no bird flu symptom in wild bird in the affected zone, why will we cull them? If we found any symptom we must cull them.”
“There is large number of waterfowls stay in the river Ganges near Farakka Barrage. Though we did not detect any symptoms of avian influenza on them, we afraid of that the flu may affect waterfowls of Farakka Barrage from the domestic ducks of the region because these waterfowls forage in the paddy fields of Malda and Murshidabad districts at night”, said Mr Arunayan Sharma, director, centre of ecological engineering in Malda.
“We will extend our vigilance in the water bodies close to Farakka Barrage. Due to shortage of staff, the fisheries department is now monitoring local water bodies there”, said Mr Jakhar.

http://www.thestatesman.net/page.new...ss=1&id=187893

[Treyfish]

Bird flu confirmed in new area; bird deaths in 14th district

KOLKATA, JAN 29 (PTI) Bird flu in West Bengal today spread to fresh areas in affected districts of Howrah, Birbhum and Nadia, while a large number of chickens died in North 24 Parganas which is still not among the 13 affected districts. In Howrah, poultry samples from Uttar Panchla village were tested positive at laboratory and fresh culling operation initiated within the five-km radius of the area, District Magistrate Khalil Ahmed said. The administration had so far culled 1.5 lakh chicks in the district where bird flu had earlier been reported in two blocks - Sankrail and another village of Panchla block - in the past three days, he said. In Birbhum, samples from Alunda village in Suri block-1 of Birbhum tested positive and in Nadia district, where culling has been completed, it spread to Kalyani, official sources in the districts said. Animal Resources Development Minister Anisur Rahaman said the over 4,000 chicken died at Baduria in North 24 Parganas district, adjacent to Kolkata, with samples being sent to Bhopal. He said culling had been ordered in a five km radius of the fresh affected areas. In Nadia district, it spread to Kalyani with reports from Harijan pally Ward number 2. Culling would begin from tomorrow, he said. A total of 25 lakh chicken had been culled all over state, Rahaman said. "The target may be little higher considering the fresh outbreak, but we have asked the districts to complete culling by tomorrow," Rahaman said. The state government also sought information from Bangladesh on the strains of the avian influenza to source the origin of the viral infection. http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=540081

[Treyfish]

Still Current at: 29 January 2008

Updated: 28 January 2008

India

This advice has been reviewed with an amendment to the Health section(Avian Influenza). The overall Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)


On 15 January 2008, the Government of India announced that the H5N1 avian influenza virus was found in dead chickens in Margram, Birbhum district, a village approximately 280 km from Kolkata (Calcutta) in West Bengal. The virus has since spread to thirteen areas with confirmed cases in the following districts; Burdwan, Bankura, Birbhum, Murshidbad, South Dinaipur, Howrah, Malda, Nadia, Hooghly, Purulia, South 24, West Midnapore and Cooch Behar. Over 600 000 poultry birds have been culled and the West Bengal state government have authorised the culling of up to 2 ,300, 000 birds within a 10 km radius of the outbreaks. No human infections have been confirmed.level of the advice has not changed. http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?...=1013618387153

[Treyfish]

Tuesday,29 January 2008 22:52 hrs IST

Poultry industry may get relief package New Delhi: The Centre on Monday said it was considering a relief package for the poultry industry and farmers affected by the bird flu. "We are discussing the parameters of a relief package," Union Animal Husbandry secretary Pradeep Kumar told reporters here. He said that the Agriculture Ministry has called a meeting of the poultry industry on Wednesday to take their view on the matter. "Nothing has been finalised as of now," the secretary said adding the government was also separately considering a package for farmers, who had lost poultry both to the disease and culling operation. Kumar said that culling operations in West Bengal were expected to be finished in the next one or two days. The state administration needs to put more teams in Mushidabad as over four lakh birds still are required to be culled. "As per the current estimate, the target is about 27 lakh including all the affected districts," he said adding in South 24 Parganas and West Midnapore culling needed to be started. Stressing on the need for mopping and disinfection operations once the culling was over, he said the natural mortality of birds due to the virus has seen a dip, which was a good sign. "The natural mortality is not much except in Murshidabad, but still we are keeping our fingers crossed," he added. http://week.manoramaonline.com/cgi-b...=3506708&BV_ID=@@@

[Treyfish]

Authorities struggling to contain the spread of bird flu in West Bengal tasted some degree of success on Tuesday after the virus has for the first time, not been reported affecting new areas in the state where 13 of the 19 districts have already been hit. Culling has been in progress in Murshidabad’s Samserganj block and Chak Belcha village in Debra block of West Midnapore district where the outbreak was reported on Monday, officials here said.

However, culling operation suffered a setback in Coochbehar’s Dinhata block where workers engaged by the Rapid Response Teams stopped killing the afflicted poultry, demanding a raise in their remuneration from Rs 70. They resumed work after a hike to Rs 105. But in another incident in Birbhum district that was declared the epicentre of the present outbreak, some personnel of the Rapid Response Teams have left the area without a proper medical check-up. More than 185 personnel from the Animal Resource Development department who had arrived at Rampurhat left for home without any release order. “It was wrong on the part of these personnel to leave the place as they are supposed to be quarantined for observation following their exposure to culling activities,” a district official said.

Meanwhile, authorities in the city have put up temporary check-posts at various entry points to keep a vigil on entry of vehicle carrying poultry from the infected districts. “Except vehicles carrying chickens from eight farms "WAS 12"certified by KMC (Kolkata Municipal Corporation), corporation authorities will not allow any poultry product into the city or neighbouring Salt Lake,” a KMC official said.

The Salt Lake Municipality has banned sale of chicken and requested police to conduct raids in markets to monitor the business. http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/...8012949324.asp

[Muscade]

602 people under flu watch in Malda

OUR CORRESPONDENT

Malda, Jan. 29: A door-to-door survey by district health workers in bird flu-hit areas of Malda has found 602 people with symptoms like fever, running nose and cough.

“We have detected 109 such people within a 3km radius of the affected areas in Chanchol and Harishchandrapur and 493 people within a radius of 3-10km. All of them complained of fever, running nose and cough,” said Radharaman Banik, the chief medical officer of health (CMOH) of Malda.

Outbreak of avian flu among poultry birds has so far been confirmed in Chanchol I and Harishchandrapur I blocks. Now, similar outbreaks are also suspected in Kaliachak I and Kaliachak III.

It is not yet known if H5N1 or the bird flu virus has infected some of these 602 people, but Banik said all of them were being kept under observation.

“We are opening a special ward in the Chanchol subdivisional hospital in case we need to admit any of them and we will also send their blood samples to the Bhopal laboratory,” said the CMOH.

A mystery fever is also stalking Malda town. D. Sarkar, the superintendent of the railway hospital here, said: “We have been getting patients with high fever and chest pains and we are not being able to detect the source of infection. We have sent quite a few patients to B.R. Singh Hospital in Sealdah.”

However, no one has been confirmed with pneumonia, the known symptom of bird flu.

A team from the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) in Delhi and experts from the All-India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, Calcutta, arrived here today to study the situation.

The team includes NICD joint-director Shah Hossain and G. Sengupta, a microbiologist from the institute in Calcutta. The experts met senior district officials and, according to sources, gave a clean chit to the administration for the manner in which the situation is being handled.

The animal resources development (ARD) department, on the other hand, is getting ready to send culling teams to Kaliachak I and Kaliachak III blocks after birds started dying there in large numbers.

“The central team from the NICD has visited the areas and from the manner in which poultry birds are dying there, the experts are certain that it is a bird flu outbreak,” said Arunima Dey, subdivisional officer, headquarters.

All the nine block development officers in the Malda Sadar subdivision, including those of Kaliachak I and III, have been told to hold meeting with the panchayat pradhans and create awareness among villagers.

“We are also sending blood samples to Bhopal,” Dey said.

The subdivisional officer added that the Kaliachak blocks were adjacent to Bangladesh and the virus could have spread from the other side of the border.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/108013...ry_8839936.jsp

[Treyfish]

State intensifies ban on poultry imports
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 29: The inter-State ban on import of poultry and their products being enforced yet again in the wake of recent outbreak of avian flu in the State of West Bengal has created panic in the neighbouring States and especially the consumers are found to be most affected with the sudden price hike.

In a drive against the inflow of poultry and their products into the State, at about 7.30 pm yesterday the city police seized 420 chicks from one Abhishek Shahu at Nagamapal.

Culling operations of the chicks imported from outside were taken up today at Porompat and to check the import of fowls and their products, Veterinary officials have been stationed at Imphal Airport, sources said.

Untill recently, though there was a meagre hike in the price of these fowls farmers could still manage with the import of chicks from Assam at their disposal.

But this time around, with stringent measures coming into effect in view of what has occured in West Bengal a stiff hike is likely to take place and worse still, for the consumers, poultry and their products could be out of stock in the market after few months.

According to Ningthoujam Ibungo who runs a poultry shop at Kwakeithel Bazar, the farmers largely depend on the import of chicks from either Kolkata or Gauhati, however due to the culling operations that recently started in West Bengal they had to totally depend on Gauhati products these few weeks.

But with this inter-State ban of import of poultry and their products being enforced we have no alternative to carry on our business as chicks being produced in some places in Manipur are not adequate in quantity and moreover such products are usually of no good breed and therefore they are not economically viable to deal with, he said.
http://e-pao.net/GP.asp?src=3..300108.jan08

[Treyfish]

Awareness programme on bird flu
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 29: Joint Director of District Veterinary Office, Ukhrul has organised a one-day awareness programme on avian influenza to impart knowledge on bird flu at Kamjong Development Town Committee hall, Kamjong on January 28 .

The Joint Director, Veterinary, Ukhrul, who presided the programme delved into various aspects of the dreaded disease along with other resource persons.

Kamjong Headman C Ramzet and Kamjong Development Committee Chairman SD Lovingson graced the function as chief guest and guest of honour respectively. http://e-pao.net/GP.asp?src=15..300108.jan08

[AlaskaDenise]

Originally Posted by niman

Commentary

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/01..._Uva_Lake.html

Commentary

H5N1 Sequences in West Bengal Similar to Uva Lake

Recombinomics Commentary 16:58
January 29, 2008

Health Secretary Naresh Dayal said the virus detected in West Bengal was somewhat similar to those found in Maharashtra in 2006, but not like those found from Manipur.

'We want to trace its origin,' Dayal too said, adding that migratory birds could not be wished away as the source of the outbreak in West Bengal.

The above comments on sequences from West Bengal are not a surprise. Sequences from the 2006 outbreak in India have been released and they are clade 2.2.3, which were also seen in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, and western Russia.

In the summer of 2006 there was a massive outbreak of H5N1 at Uva Lake. The number of dead wild birds was on a par with the outbreak a year earlier at Qinghai Lake. Uva Lake is the largest lake in Mongolia and is just south of the Siberian border at Tyva in Russia. H5N1 sequences from ducks and grebes in Russian as well as a whooper swan and common goldeneye were published. These sequences formed a separate branch of a phylogenetic tree.

At the end of 2006, the sequences were found in the outbreak in South Korea. In early 2007, they were only reported for Kuwait. However, beginning in the summer of 2007, the Uva Lake strain was found throughout Europe. In the summer it was in the Czech Republic, Germany, and France. By the end of 2007 it had been reported in Krasnodar, England in two separate outbreaks, Poland, Romania, and northeast Germany. In these locations, the clade 2.2.1 and 2.2.2 which had been seen in 2006 were largely replaced by clade 2.2.3.

Therefore, based on the history of H5N1 in India and south Asia, sequences related to the Uva Lake strain would be expected in Bangladesh, West Bengal, and Pakistan. Similarly, the recently reported outbreak in southern Tibet would also be expected to be related (see satellite map here and here).

Release of all of the recent sequences, as well as sequences from early 2007, would be useful.


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[AlaskaDenise]

Originally Posted by niman

Commentary at

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/01..._Parganas.html

Commentary

H5N1 Spread to Fourteenth West Bengal District

Recombinomics Commentary 20:15
January 29, 2008

North 24 Parganas Basirsat SD Baduria Block Salua village of Chatra Gram Panchayat

The above location of culled areas indicates H5N1 has been reported in the fourteenth of the nineteen West Bengal districts (see satellite map here and here). This location is about 20 miles to the west of Calcutta, which increases the number of Calcutta suburbs which have excessive poultry deaths due to H5N1 infections. The location of this cull, near the Bangladesh border, is not a surprise. Both countries have been reporting new outbreaks almost daily.

The level of testing in West Bengal remains low. Some media reports indicate the above cull may just be linked to excessive poultry deaths, signaling less reliance and use of H5N1 confirmatory tests.

The recent reports of alerts and excessive poultry deaths to the north, including a confirmed outbreak in southern Tibet, suggests more reports of H5N1 or excessive poultry deaths in West Bengal and neighboring districts or countries will continue.


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[AlaskaDenise]

Originally Posted by niman

Commentary

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/01...ore_Goats.html

Commentary

Dead Goats in Midnapore West Bengal Increase Concerns

Recombinomics Commentary 22:36
January 29, 2008

In Midnapore town, there was panic after seven goats dropped dead. The owner claimed he had buried the animals but couldn't show the burial place raising fear that the infected meat was sold.

The above comments raise additional concerns about H5N1 jumping to mammalian species, including goats. The goat deaths are following a pattern (see satellite map here and here). After H5N1 arrives and rapidly spreads through multiple villages, humans and goats develop bird flu symptoms. In the goats, the symptoms are associated with pneumonia and death. There have been reports of hundreds of goats dying in Birbhum as well as two locations in Murshidabad. Now the pattern is repeated in Midnapore, where H5N1 rapidly spread to 107 villages, virtually overnight.

After government announcements of control, there are new outbreaks reported. The latest involved thousands of chickens at a poultry farm in North 24 Parganas. Culling was order, even though H5N1 confirmation from Bhopal had not been received. The H5N1 is spreading rapidly, and outpacing the limited and slow testing.

The confidence in the testing continues to decline. Although patients are said to be negative, the linkage of suspect cases to massive domestic and wild bird deaths continues to suggest that H5N1 infections are significantly greater than stated in official reports.

The latest positives in North 24 Parganas add yet another Calcutta suburb with confirmed H5N1 or excessive poultry deaths. The infections in wild birds suggest efforts to keep H5N1 from spreading in Calcutta will fail, and testing thus far raises additional pandemic concerns.


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[HenryN]

Culling begins in North 24 Parganas district

By a Sify correspondent Wednesday, 30 January , 2008, 14:11

Kolkata: West Bengal on Wednesday began culling in North 24 Parganas district after many chicken died there. Also read Keep your chicken bird flu free! Some quick facts about bird flu Full coverage Preliminary tests conducted by the state government suggested presence of the virus that causes avian influenza in the district. “We are awaiting the report of the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory, Bhopal. But since the union government permitted us to notify and start culling, we started the same after our tests suggested presence of the virus at Baduria in North 24 Parganas (barely 50 km from Kolkata),” West Bengal Animal Husbandry Minister Anisur Rahman said Wednesday. He, however, said there was no fresh report of chicken deaths except for the private farm at Baduria. If the Bhopal laboratory tests are confirmed, 14 of the 19 districts of the state will be under the grip of the deadly virus. Rahman confirmed that samples collected at Haringhata near Kalyani in Nadia district had tested positive. Bird flu was confirmed in three more blocks of Birbhum and Howrah districts Tuesday. http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14597247