India: Assam, AVIAN INFLUENZA A/H5N1 IN POULTRY (December 2008+)

[HenryN]

Measures to tackle birdflu in Arunachal
PTI
Tuesday, December 16, 2008 18:23 IST

Santosh Shinde / DNA Measures to prevent the outbreak of birdflu being taken in Arunachal Pradesh

ITANAGAR: Arunachal Pradesh was taking all possible measures to prevent an outbreak of avian influenza following spread of the disease in Assam and West Bengal.
While the state government had banned import of poultry birds and poultry products into the state since December 12, a team of senior officers of the animal husbandry and veterinary department has been formed to tackle any eventuality relating to bird flu, officers said.
Rapid response teams and operational workforce of the department have been formed for constant surveillance and surprise checking.
A mobile team has also been formed for constant monitoring and conducting surprise raids to ensure that the ban on the entry of poultry products was strictly being adhered to.

http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1214483

[HenryN]

400,000 poultry culled in bird flu hit Assam
Dec 16th, 2008 | By Sindh Today | Category: India
Guwahati, Dec 16 (IANS) More than 400,000 poultry have been culled in Assam after an outbreak of the deadly bird flu, officials Tuesday said.
‘We have almost completed culling operations and now the mopping drive is on,’ Assam veterinary director A. Kakati said.
At least eight Assam districts were hit by the bird flu virus two weeks ago after hundreds of chicken and ducks died suddenly.
‘An estimated 50,000 more birds are being culled and we expect to complete the drive in the next couple of days,’ Kakati said.
An Assam government spokesman said there were reports of bird flu spreading to new villages in eastern and western Assam.
‘We are awaiting laboratory test reports although we have begun preventive culling to minimize the risk,’ the official said.
Central government health teams were continuing door-to-door check ups to ensure that the virus does not spread to humans.
‘So far there are no reports of the virus contracting humans,’ central health ministry official Parthajyoti Gogoi said.
The Assam government has so far paid Rs.10 million as compensation to villagers for the culled poultry.

http://www.sindhtoday.net/south-asia/43982.htm

[HenryN]

Culling in all Bird Flu affected areas of Assam Farmers being adequately compensated
	19:57 IST

There was an unusual mortality of poultry in village Rajabazar, block Hajo of Kamrup district. The testing of samples revealed occurrence of bird flu at the said location. The Government of India notified the occurrence of the disease on November 27, 2008. Subsequent to this, samples of poultry taken from certain locations in Rani, Rampur, Guwahati and Bezera Blocks of Kamrup and Kamrup (Metro) districts, Gobardhana and Bojali blocks of Barpeta District, Pacshim Nalbari block of Nalbari district, Sidli Chirang block of Chirang district and Dibrugarh town have also tested positive for bird flu. In order to control the disease, the State Government has immediately launched the control and containment operations. Every effort is being made to ensure that the disease does not spread further. Senior Veterinary officers have been deployed by the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries, Government of India at various locations to aid and advise the State Governments on control and containments operations. Culling operation is being done within three kilometer radius of the each face of infection. All the poultry birds which are being culled as part of control containment operations, eggs and feed material in the culling zone which is being destroyed are being compensated at very good rates. The compensation is being provided to the farmers on the spot itself. The rates of compensation notified by the State Government are Rs. 90 for layer, Rs. 80 for broiler and Rs. 125 for duck. All the poultry farmers are strongly advised that they must cooperate with the State Government officials engaged in control and containment operations. It is necessary to cull the poultry within the infected zone so as to prevent the infection from spreading to the fresh areas. It may also be informed that bird flu has the potential to infect human beings as well. Accordingly, the poultry farmers must inform the local veterinary officials and other local authorities immediately whenever there is an unusual mortality of poultry birds. By taking early action, they will be able to save rest of their poultry as also protect the health of their family members. http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=45748

[HenryN]

15 December 2008 – India

Status Report of Avian Influenza in Assam, India

The Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries in the Agriculture Ministry has confirmed further outbreaks of avian influenza in Block Sidli Chirang (District Chirang) and Bezera, Guwahati Municipality (District Kamrup) and Dibrugarh Municipality (District Dibrugarh). This is in addition to earlier outbreaks in Block Gobardhana, Barpeta District and Block West Nalbari, Nalbari District (on 4.12.08) in Rani and Rampur block of Kamrup district (01.12.2008) and Hajo block of Kamrup district (27.11.08).

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India, has strengthened isolation facilities to admit and treat suspect cases. 15,000 capsules of Tamiflu, 9,000 surgical masks, 900 personal protective equipments, 300 N-95 masks and five ventilators have been supplied by MoHFW. Another 5,000 capsules of Tamiflu has reached the affected area on 14.12.2008.

There is no suspect case of human avian influenza.

For further information, please visit the following websites:

Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India www.dahd.nic.in

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Indiawww.mohfw.nic.in

http://www.searo.who.int/en/Section1...2462_13929.asp

[HenryN]

CM reviews flu drive
Staff reporter
GUWAHATI, Dec 16 – Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today directed the authorities concerned to launch vigorous propaganda campaign to make the people aware of the danger of bird flu and also of the steps taken by the Government to compensate the affected farmers so as to facilitate the culling operations in the bird flu-infected areas. He directed the departments concerned to complete the culling of poultry in the bird flu infected areas expeditiously.

Disclosing these, an official press release said that the Chief Minister reviewed today the over all bird flu-related situation and particularly the situation arising out of the resistance of the poultry farmers in some areas of the State to the culling operations, with Ministers Pramila Rani Brahma and Chandan Brahma and senior officers of the departments concerned.

The Chief Minister also directed the departments concerned to involve the people and particularly the womenfolk, voluntary organisations, women’s organisations, Gaon Panchayats and Village Defence Parties in the anti-bird flu drives, said the press release.

Meanwhile, poultry samples from Karbi Anglong have also been sent to the Bhoopal-based High Security Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (HSADL) for testing following reports of unusual death of poultry in some parts of the district.

Patacharkuchi Correspondent reports:

Preventive culling of poultry will be undertaken at Sariha Chakla village tomorrow following reports of unusual death of a large number of poultry in the village a few days back, said SDC (Civil) Nandita Konwar.

However, confirmation of out break of bird flu in the village is yet to be received from the HSADL.

http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/...d=dec1708/at03

[HenryN]

Updated map

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UT...9,6.635742&z=7

[HenryN]

4 lakh birds culled in N-E


Guwahati/Malda/Shillong, Dec. 16: Nearly four lakh birds have been culled in some pockets of Assam and Meghalaya while the exercise commenced in Tuesday in West Bengal’s Malda district even as Arunachal Pradesh took all possible measures to prevent the spread of the dreaded Avian flu.
The 18-day exercise to create bird free zones was over in Assam’s Kamrup Rural and Kamrup Metro districts where close to four lakh birds had been slaughtered so far.
Culling operations were on elsewhere in the state where the bird flu had surfaced, official sources in state capital Guwahati said.
State veterinary and animal husbandry departments had targeted the number of birds to be culled at around 5,40,000, they said. Reports of unusual death of birds continued to pour in from some places. —PTI
***
Centre to set up 6 labs
By OUR CORRESPONDENT
New Delhi
Dec. 16: The Centre will set up six more laboratories, including one in Kolkata, to step up measures to check the avian influenza. The country has only one laboratory located at Bhopal for detecting the virus in samples. Agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, while replying to a debate on Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Diseases in Animals Bill in the Rajya Sabha, said two testing facilities will be set up in Kolkata and Jalandhar by March next year.
The bill, passed by the House on Tuesday, is aimed at providing a uniform legislation throughout the country to monitor and control infectious animal diseases.

http://www.asianage.com/presentation...ed-in-n-e.aspx

[HenryN]

Bird flu figures in Parliament
Spl correspondent
NEW DELHI, Dec 16 – Unprecedented spread of the dreaded bird flu in Assam today prompted Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) MPs to demand immediate despatch of special team from Union Agriculture and Health and Family Welfare Ministries, along with additional Central compensation package. The issue of bird flu figured in both the Houses of the Parliament on Tuesday. In Lok Sabha, Dr Arun Kumar Sarma raised it during Zero Hour, and in the Rajya Sabha, Biren Baishya and Kumar Deepak Das raised it during the discussion on the Prevention and Control of Infections and Contagious Diseases in Animals Bill, 2005.

Asserting that bird flu has assumed epidemic form, Dr Sarma said the avian flu virus has spread to Nalbari, Barpeta, Kamrup, Goalpara, Lakhimpur, Dibrugarh, Sivasagar and Chirang districts.

He said though Rapid Action Force has started operation, it is very slow. The Central Government should send additional team to the State and provide additional compensation to the affected farmers. A special team from Agriculture and Health and Family Welfare ministries should be rushed to the State and adequate steps should be taken by the Central Government, he added.

In the Rajya Sabha, Biren Baishya participating in the discussion on the Bill said that the bird flu has hit the State at a time when the people of the State were yet to recover from devastation caused by the floods.

Pointing out that the bird flu has spread to most parts of the State, the epidemic has severely affected the local economy and the poultry farmers. The flood has caused havoc and lakh of hectares of cultivation have been destroyed.

Asserting that it was the duty of the Centre to come to the rescue of the poor farmers, he demanded special compensation package and adequate measure to control the spread of the flu.

Lamenting that the North Eastern Region did not have a single research laboratory, Baishya said that one be established in the region. As Guwahati is the hub of the Region, the laboratory should be set up in the city, he suggested.

Joining the discussion, Kumar Deepak Das said that over 3.5 lakh chickens have been culled so far. It is a communicable disease, which may spread to human being. Therefore, the Government of India should take extra care to prevent further spread of the disease.

He also demanded adequate compensations to the farmers in all the affected districts. He further called for additional central teams to control the disease.
http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/...d=dec1708/at06

[HenryN]

Steps to prevent spread of bird flu demanded
CORRESPONDENT
MIRZA, Dec 16 – The avian flu-affected areas of Palasbari constituency are yet to receive the desired post-culling protective steps as far as the precautionary measures of preventing the spread of dreaded virus to the other areas are concerned.

People flaying the civil authority for its alleged utter disregard to the public health have demanded immediate steps to prevent further havoc. High level officials who visited the infected zones are alleged to have paid no attentions to the crucial matter as their vehicles after coming out from the infected areas are alleged to have not been disinfected.

Move importantly, of the 17 Rapid Response Teams, four had to cancel their crucial culling operation following the scarcity of tamiflu medicine.

http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/...ec1708/State17

[HenryN]

Commentary

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/12...m_Central.html

[HenryN]

Bird flu spreads to Barpeta
Staff reporter
GUWAHATI, Dec 17 – The spread of the dreaded bird flu to Sariha Sakla village under Bajali Development Block of Barpeta district, Kheluwapara village of Boitamari Development Block of Bongaigaon district and Kharghuli Joypur area of the city has been confirmed by the Bhopal-based High Security Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (HSADL). However, confirmation as to the spread of the disease to Naoboicha and Narayanpur areas of Lakhimpur district, Chaulpara village of Sivasagar district and Chatribari area of the city is still awaited, said official sources here.

Culling in the 3 km radius areas of Sariha Sakla, Kheluwapara and Kharghuli Joypur started today. However, preventive culling was undertaken in all these areas earlier, said the sources.

The Kamrup (Metro) district administration has said in a statement that cleaning and disinfecting operations in a 3 km radius area of Patgaon village under Rani Development Block would be completed tomorrow.

The district administration has also informed that combing operations in Khanapara, Khanapara Nanke, Maidamgaon, Rukminigaon, Dwarandha, Hatigaon, Bagharbori, Bagharbori Nanke, Amerigog Nanke, Sarumatoria, Hengerabari, Barmatoria, Basistha and Khanapara Reserved Forest will be launched tomorrow. No compensation will be paid to the poultry owners whose poultry will be killed during the combing operations, says the district administration.

It has also stated that the culling operations conducted in the Kharghuli area of the city will cover Guwahati Municipal Ward No 35,36, 38, 40, 46 and 47.

http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/...=dec1808/at010

[HenryN]

Selective culling may worsen situation
Our Bureau
DIBRUGARH, Dec 17 – Selective culling of domestic chicken, ducks and broilers in many parts of the State that have reported an outbreak of the bird flu virus is set to make a mockery of the government's disease containment process, alleges the Dibrugarh District Poultry Farmers' Association.

According to World Health Organisation (WHO) stipulation, areas where there is an outbreak of the bird flu virus (avian influenza) all domestic birds and those seen around in the neighbourhood, like crows, pigeons and sparrows have to be culled, to halt the spread of the deadly disease.

What is happening in Assam is that teams of veterinary department personnel are moving around to eliminate only poultry birds. "It is essential to catch and cull sparrows, crows and pigeons, as they are also likely to be affected and spread avian influenza," says Inamuddin Ahmed, secretary of the Dibrugarh District Poultry Farmers’ Association.

He went on to allege that there is a huge anomaly in paying compensation to the poultry owners in course of the culling operations. “We are not paid the rates as declared by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, we are made to incur losses for no fault of ours,” he said.

Another functionary of the association said that the recent incident in the city, where one person's broiler stock was found to be affected by the virus, the birds did not belong to any farm in Chiring Chapori here, but are essentially a stock brought from Barpeta, for sale in the city. It is gathered that sick birds are often transported in night buses by unscrupulous poultry traders for sale in large markets like Dibrugarh and Tinsukia.

The association feels that unless the State government is serious about containing the outbreak of avian influenza by culling all possible bird species in the affected areas, the palliative measures could turn out to be disastrous for the people at large. A source in the Veterinary department said people of the department have not yet given a thought to culling sparrows, pigeons and crows in the avian influenza affected areas of the State.

http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/...=dec1808/State

[HenryN]

Plight of poultry farmers in Mukalmua area
Correspondent
NALBARI, Dec 17 – Following the presence of deadly H5M1 virus of bird flu at Kothla village in Nalbari district, the fate of hundreds of poultry farmers in the district hangs in a balance.

The Nalbari district administration and the veterinary and animal husbandry department have already started culling operation at Kothla and its adjoining thirteen villages within the three kms radius to prevent the further spread of this disease to more areas.

In these affected areas of Nalbari district, fifteen Rapid Response Team (RRT) so far culled about 20,000 poultry where culling of 28,000 birds were fixed. The Nalbari district administration banned all types of movement of domestic birds and their products like meat, egg within the 10 kms radius from Kothla village.

As the Nalbari district administration is culling the birds only in 3 kms area, the poultry farmers of other parts in the district have been facing a lot of problems with their products. In Mukalmua area, alone 200 young poultry farmers who run broiler farm as an avenue of self-employment have been badly affected.

One Binod Deka, an upcoming poultry farmer of Mukalmua area, who started a large poultry farm RB Poultry Production last year passing through an uncertainty for his poultry. Presently, he has 25,000 birds in his farm in three batches.

Deka who runs the farm in partnership taking loans from State Bank of India, Nalbari Branch, has failed to sell his full-grown broilers in the market.

Deka who usually sold the product in Guwahati, now failed to do so as the government has banned the transportation of poultry from one district to another. “Worse still, I have failed to feed my 25,000 birds as the government had banned the transportation of poultry feed.”

He added that the 25,000 birds need 20 bags feed daily but now he is giving only two three bags to keep them alive.

http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/...dec1808/State1

[HenryN]

Daily poultry sector loss Rs 2.21 cr
Staff reporter
GUWAHATI, Dec 17 – The State poultry sector is incurring a loss of around Rs 2.21 crore per day on an average due to bird flu outbreak, claimed the All Assam Poultry Farmers’ Association (AAPFA). The Association has worked out the monthly loss being incurred by the sector for the disease as Rs 62 crore.

The Association has attributed the spread of the disease to the import of big broiler birds from West Bengal and Bangladesh, which witnessed the outbreak of the disease in the recent past.

Addressing a press conference here today, Association general secretary Rajiv Kumar Sarma, publicity secretary Dr Bhupen Bhattacharyya, executive committee members Dr Pranjit Koch and Subhash Majumdar said that the total poultry business in the State in a day is worth around Rs 2.21 crore, Rs 15.5 crore in a week and Rs 62 crore in a month.

Since the authorities have prohibited sale or purchase of poultry and poultry products following bird flu outbreak, the earning of the poultry farmers has come to a grinding halt.

To restore the health of sector, the office bearers of the Association also demanded a scheme in line with the one adopted by the Maharashtra Government in 2004 to compensate the loss of the poultry farmers. The Government should repay the bank loans of the farmers and introduce a system of loan assistance, like the Kishan Credit Card, for the benefit of the poor poultry farmers, they said.

Offering cooperation to the authorities in conducting the culling operations, the Association office bearers said that the authorities or the Government could engage 40 veterinary experts and 200 trained youths of the Association in such operations. They also made an appeal to the people to cooperate with the authorities in the culling operations.

They claimed that there are around 15,500 poultry farmers in the State and around 5.5 lakh people and 275 veterinary doctors are directly engaged in the poultry sector. The collapse of the sector will make life miserable for all these people and moreover, a huge number of State’s people will also face nutrition-related problems, as, broiler chicken is a major source of animal protein for a large section of them, said the Association office-bearers.

The hatchery owners are facing a queer situation following the promulgation of prohibitory order on the sale and purchase of poultry and poultry products. They are now compelled to kill the chicks produced in their farms.

The authorities concerned are yet to make their decision known to the Association on the latter’s December 2 representation to the Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Department on the issue. This has made 39 hatcheries of the State to incur a loss of Rs 25 lakh per day. A further delay to resolve the impasse on the issue will lead to the collapse of all the hatcheries, warned the Association office-bearers.

The ban on the sale and purchase of poultry feed has hit hard the poultry farmers of the areas not affected by bird flu so far. For, neither their birds are killed nor they are able to procure the feed for their birds. After a few days, these birds will start dying out of starvation and this will result in another health-related problem, warned the Association office-bearers.

The authorities concerned should immediately apply their mind to resolve this problem and issue a direction. Or else, the authorities should conduct a survey of the birds of the poultry farms located in the infected districts and cover them under the culling operations, they demanded, adding, the compensation amounts should also be enhanced to Rs 20 per chick, Rs 60 for a broiler of 1 kg weight, Rs 100 for a broiler of over 1 kg in weight, Rs 120 for a local fowl, Rs 150 for a duck, Rs 3 for a table egg, Rs 12 for a hatching egg.

http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/...d=dec1808/at09

[HenryN]

Bird flu spread to three more areas in Assam on Wednesday, taking to 12 the total number of areas affected in the state.
As culling operations were in full swing in the northeastern state, culling of chickens in West Bengal’s Malda district, 340 km north of Kolkata, fell way behind target.
A section of villagers refused to hand over their poultry to health officials on the second day of culling in the Englishbazar area of Malda.
For the 400 families of the village, rearing chickens and ducks is the only means of livelihood. “Villagers said the money they are being offered would not be enough to buy new chickens,” said an official who did not want to be named.
The state government is paying compensations of Rs 50, Rs 40 and Rs 75 for chickens, broiler chickens and ducks, respectively. This is Rs 10 more than the amount paid per bird during the culling operations in January this year.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryP...rd+flu+spreads

[HenryN]

Updated map

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UT...5,6.723633&z=7

[HenryN]

Bird flu spreads to seventh district in Assam

Guwahati (PTI): More poultry deaths were reported on Thursday in Assam where avian influenza spread to another district, taking the count of affected districts in the State to seven, even as some crows tested positive for the H5N1 strain.
Blood samples of the crows found dead in Chatribari area in Guwahati were confirmed as H5N1 positive by laboratories in Bhopal and Pune, sources said.
The laboratories also confirmed that avian influenza had spread to three more areas in Assam, hitting seven districts so far with culling operations on in three.
Director of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary A. Kakati said three samples sent from Sariha village in Barpeta, Kheluamara village in Bongaigaon and Kharguli in Guwahati to the Bhopal-based High Security Diagnostic Laboratory had tested positive.
With this, the number of bird flu affected epicentres increased from six to nine in seven districts, Kakati said. Fresh cases of unusual bird deaths were reported from Karbi Anglong, Nagaon, Lakhimpur, Sibsagar and Golaghat districts, and reports of the samples sent for tests to Bhopal were awaited, the sources said.
Over four lakh birds have been culled by 1,156 members of Rapid Response team and Rs 1.11 crore paid as compensation to affected poultry farmers.
The targeted 5.40 lakh affected birds were expected to be culled within the next few days, they said. Culling operations were on in Barpeta, Chirang and Dibrugarh, while it was completed in Kamrup (Rural) and Nalbari. The seven districts affected by the avian flu are Kamrup Rural, Kamrup Metro, Nalbari, Barpeta, Chirang, Dibrugarh and Bongaigaon.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus...0812181813.htm

[HenryN]

Commentary

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[HenryN]

Nagaland bans entry of poultry from Assam
PTI
Thursday, December 18th, 2008 AT 8:12 PM
Tags: Nagaland, bird flu
Close...
Kohima: In view of the bird flu outbreak in neighbouring Assam, two border districts of Nagaland have banned entry of poultry and related products from the bordering state.
The district administrations of Mokokchung and Mon have asked the police and civil officials posted at the inter-state border check-posts of Tizit and Naginimora, to keep strict vigil on the movement of fowls, sources said.
“The Mokokchung deputy commissioner has asked all concerned departments to strictly ban entry of poultry and related products, to the district till further orders,” they said.

http://www.sakaaltimes.com/2008/12/1...f-poultry.html

[HenryN]

Bird flu spreads in Assam and Bengal


BY OUR CORRESPONDENTS
KOLKATA/KALYANI/GUWAHATI
Dec. 18: State animal resources development minister Anisur Rahman asked the people in the state to "learn to live with bird diseases".
Mr Rahman feels that in a country like India, outbreak of bird flu is quite but natural and the government also cannot ask the people to stop farming of ducks and chickens. The minister, however, stressed for the development of awareness about the diseases so that it could be prevented. He invited teachers, students and individuals to come up and join hands with the government to make people aware of the disease.
Refuting reports that bird flu has spread to Murshidabad, Mr Rahman said that the H5N1 virus was confined to just one area i.e. the English Bazar in Malda. "Except English Bazar in Malda, there has been no reports of bird flu from any other district in the state. The news of the presence of the virus in Murshidabad was false," he added.
Meanwhile, the Assam bird flu scenario turned severe as it has spread to 11 districts where culling operations are in full swing besides in many parts of the capital city Guwahati.
The health officials said that the bird flu virus was found in some tests conducted by the rapid response team in new areas.
The state government officials clarified that they were unable to meet the deadline of culling as there was a growing fear that it may soon spread to humans.
Incurring daily losses of over Rs 2 crores, especially in this peak season when profits would have doubled, the poultry farmers in flu affected districts has also demanded better compensation package and speedy culling operation so that business could be resumed at the earliest.
"The poultry industry has been adversely affected as we have lost Rs 2.21 crores so far," general secretary of All-Assam Poultry Farmers Association R.K. Sharma said.
The association demanded interest subsidy along the Maharashtra model, where 100 per cent loan subsidy was provided to poultry farmers by clubbing Central and state subsidies.

http://www.asianage.com/presentation...nd-bengal.aspx

[HenryN]

3.8 lakh birds culled by vets in State
Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, Dec 18 – In the drive to combat bird flu in the State, the Veterinary Department culled till last evening a total of 3,80,903 poultry. The department is also sending bird samples from Hamren Sub-division of Karbi Anglong district again to the Bhopal-based High Security Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (HSADL) on Monday.

Earlier, the department had sent bird samples from the subdivision to the HSADL. But so far there has been no confirmation of the presence of the bird flu virus in those samples, said official sources here today.

There has been no report also on the samples sent by the State from the wildlife sanctuaries to the HSADL, said the sources.

Meanwhile, culling operations are going on in Sariha Sakla area of Bajali Circle of Barpeta district, Boitamari area in Bongaigaon district, Nilibari area in Chirang district and Kharghuli area in the city. Mopping operations are also on in Jalah Bejera area of Kamrup district and Ward No 6 and adjacent areas of Dibrugarh district, while combing operations were launched in the Khanapara area of the city today, said the sources.

AB Negi, Joint Commissioner, Veterinary and Animal Husbandry (Livestock Health) of the Union Government, is supervising the anti-bird flu drive in the State, said the sources.

http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/...d=dec1908/City

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.indopia.in/India-usa-uk-n...ational/1/20/1

Sikkim bans supply of poultry from outside
Published: December 19,2008

Gangtok , Dec 18 The Sikkim government today banned the supply of poultry products like eggs and chickens from outside the state with immediate effect in view of the outbreak of bird flu in neighbouring West Bengal and Assam, a top Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services department (AS&VS) official said.

The supply of poultry products to Sikkim from outside the state has been banned with immediate effect, AS&VS Director, K C Bhutia said.

It may be mentioned that the latest decision was the third instance when the state government has prohibited supply of poultry products from outside in the past one year.

"We have sufficient production of poultry products to meet the domestic demand of chickens and eggs to meet the shortfall arising out of the ban on poultry products from outside,"he said.

There was no option but to ban supply of poultry products from outside as the bird flu had spread to Malda district in north Bengal, he said.

Meanwhile, the prices of chickens and eggs are likely to skyrocket again due to shortage in the domestic market, the traders said.
Source: PTI

[sharon sanders]

Thanks everyone!

[AlaskaDenise]

Originally Posted by niman

Commentary

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/12...sam_Crows.html

Commentary

H5N1 Confirmed in Dead Crows in Guwahati Assam
Recombinomics Commentary 15:31
December 18, 2008

Blood samples of the crows found dead in Chatribari area in Guwahati were confirmed as H5N1 positive by laboratories in Bhopal and Pune, sources said.

The above comments confirm H5N1 in dead crows in the Assam's largest city, Guwahati, where extensive culling is ongoing (see zoomed map). Although H5N1 in crows has been reported in many outbreaks, including Bangladesh and Egypt, confirmations by India in the past have been lacking.

Last season crows and other wild birds were noted in West Bengal and Bangladesh, but only Bangladesh confirmed that the crows were H5N1 positive. The dead crows produced panic last season in Bangladesh and Calcutta, and similar concerns have been voiced in relation to the hundreds of dead crows in Malda.

The careless discarding of dead poultry leads to infections in wild birds and animals that eat the H5N1 positive poultry, which leads to local spread. Therefore, restrictions on the movement of poultry and sealing of borders are compromised by the spread of H5N1 by wild birds, which do not respect border closings.

Although infections in wild birds are not a surprise, the confirmation by India helps define the problems and difficulties in bringing these outbreaks under control after there has been a rapid expansion of infections as confirmed in Assam, West Bengal, and Bangladesh.


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[HenryN]

Commentary

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[AlaskaDenise]

Originally Posted by niman

Commentary

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Commentary

Additional H5N1 Spread To Central Assam Raises Concerns
Recombinomics Commentary 18:48
December 18, 2008

Fresh cases of unusual bird deaths were reported from Karbi Anglong, Nagaon, Lakhimpur, Sibsagar and Golaghat districts, and reports of the samples sent for tests to Bhopal were awaited, the sources said.

The above comments suggest H5N1 has spread throughout Assam (see updated map). H5N1 has already been confirmed at the northwest and northeast corners, and the above areas fill in the areas in between. Confirmation has been slow, but culling groups are already stretched thin battling H5N1 in regions where H5N1 has already been confirmed.

Included in the confirmations were crows in Assams largest city, Guwahati, and extensive culling in the city is ongoing (see zoomed map). The outbreak in and around the city has led to culling in adjacent regions in Meghalaya.

The testing of wild birds is far from ideal, so the true spread of H5N1 is likely to be markedly greater than the confirmed areas or the areas with unnatural poultry deaths. Wild birds are being tested via cloacal swabs, which generally yield false negatives fro the Qinghai strain (clade2.2), which is the strain previously reported for India and Bangladesh.

The new outbreaks suggest the H5N1 spread has been rapid and will likely spread to the south as the weather cools. Last season most of the spread was in January and February, so more spread to the south is likely.

The confirmation of H5N1 in dead crows in Guwahati is consistent with results in Bangladesh last season, and suggests the hundreds of dead crows in Malda signal the spread of H5N1 to wild birds, which lead to local spread.

Excessive poultry deaths have been reported for areas north of the outbreak in Englishbazar in Malda, and there are rumored deaths to the south in Marshidabad. In addition to these areas in India, Bangladesh has reported multiple outbreaks in the north as well as the area around Dhaka.

Thus, continued spread of H5N1 is expected and this spread may extend to new areas that have not previously reported H5N1.


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[HenryN]

Culling to be over today

A STAFF REPORTER

Guwahati, Dec. 18: The Assam veterinary department today said the culling process would be completed by tomorrow while the affected districts will be under surveillance to prevent recurrence of bird flu. Ashiwini Kataki, the director of the veterinary department, said tonight that rapid response teams would carry out the final round of the culling process at Nilibari in Chirang district tomorrow. The latest detection of bird flu was at Kharghuli here and some parts of Barpeta and Bongaigaon district yesterday. “Our job is far from over even after the culling process is done as we will begin surveillance of the affected areas. After about a month, our teams will visit the affected areas and collect blood samples from poultry, if any is left there, to find out their status,” Kataki said. The veterinary department has culled nearly 4.5 lakh poultry till yesterday since bird flu was first detected in the Hajo area of Kamrup district last month. Seven districts have been affected by the flu. Official sources said Dispur has come up with an alternative source of livelihood to offset the losses suffered by families during the outbreak of bird flu in Kokrajhar and Dhubri districts in February this year. The government has sanctioned Rs 3 crore to help the nearly 12,000 affected families. As part of the scheme, a pair of goats or pigs would be distributed to the families, for sustenance. The directorate of veterinary sciences has already started floating tenders for suppliers of goats and pigs. Kataki said the government is planning to launch the scheme soon through the respective deputy commissioners. This scheme goes beyond the compensation of nearly Rs 30 lakh paid to the affected people because of culling. “The whole idea is to help the families by providing an alternative source of livelihood, some kind of relief because most of these families depended on poultry and its products for their sustenance to a large extent. Instead of breeding poultry, they can now rear goats and pigs, which do not get affected like the birds by avian influenza. During the outbreak in the two districts, they lost the birds because of culling. Some 12,000 families were affected,” he said. http://www.telegraphindia.com/108121...y_10273002.jsp

[HenryN]

Dimapur on high alert following bird flu
Kohima, Dec 19 : The district administration of Dimapur, especially the district health and veterinary departments, has sounded a red alert throughout the district following reports of deaths of some poultry and wild birds bordering Assam's Karbi Anglong district.

Official sources said besides poultry, wild birds like crows, doves, bulbuls, owls and kites were reportedly found dead in the jungles of Karbi Anglong district bordering Nagaland. Unofficial reports said some poultry and birds were found dead inside Nagaland.
The district administration of Dimapur, Additional Deputy Commissioner Sedevikho Khro, in an order has banned transport of all types of poultry and poultry products. The order also sought the cooperation of all concerned in complying with the directive in order to ensure a safe festive season.
Sources said Nagaland spent about Rs three hundred crores annually on meat consumption.
The state veterinary department had already informed all villages bordering Assam to immediately inform the nearest Veterinary Centre in case of abnormal death of any poultry or birds and constituted Rapid Reaction Teams (RRT) in all the districts as precautionary measures to prevent spread of the Avian Influenza.
The Deputy Commissioner of Mokokchung Bengankokba, by an order, had also temporarily banned import of poultry and poultry products from Assam.
Official sources said the DC in an order issued at Mokokchung yesterday, asked all the concerned departments manning check gates and check posts to keep strict vigil on the entry of banned poultry and its products into Nagaland through the district.
--- UNI

http://www.newkerala.com/topstory-fullnews-62617.html

[HenryN]

Updated map

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UT...6,6.723633&z=7

[HenryN]

Culling process in Assam to be over today
Guwahati, Dec 19 : The culling process of poultry in the bird flu affected areas in Assam is expected to be completed by this evening.

The disease has been identified in 12 locations in seven districts in the State.
According to State Director of vetenary Dr. Aswani Katoky, except few areas of Kharghuli, Sirang and Bongaigaon districts, culling has been completed in all other locations.
Around 450 thousand poultry birds have culled so far in the state. The affected districts will be kept under surveillance for at least three months to prevent recurrence of the bird flu.
No fresh report of spread of the disease has been received from anywhere in the State.
Veterinary officials have slaughtered over 300,000 chicken and ducks since late November, after the virus was detected in poultry last month in a village close to Guwahati.
The WHO has described the outbreak of bird flu in West Bengal last January, when more than four million birds were culled, as the worst ever in India.
--- ANI
http://www.newkerala.com/topstory-fullnews-62667.html