By NNN-PTI
Kolkata/New Delhi : Bird flu Thursday spread in West Bengal as three more districts of the state reported poultry deaths as the World Health Organisation warned the outbreak in the state was far more serious than the previous pandemics in Manipur and Maharashtra states.
The Centre admitted the outbreak of the deadly disease was on a wider scale than two earlier outbreaks in Maharashtra and Manipur.
Culling operations to target nearly four lakh (400,000) poultry continued at a slow pace for the second day Thursday amid confusion about the figures of the birds killed.
West Bengal Animal Resources Development minister Anisur Rahaman told reporters in Kolkata that birdflu had spread to Kirnahar in Birbhum district and Barwan in Murshidabad district since Wednesday.
He said there were also reports of poultry deaths in neighbouring Burdwan, South 24 Parganas and Nadia districts but bird flu symptoms had not been not found.
“There are reports of unusual mortality in Terhatta block of Nadia district, Kalna block of Bardhaman district and Baruipur village of South 24 Pargana district,” Union Animal Husbandry Secretary Pradeep Kumar told reporters in Delhi, citing a communication from the state.
Samples are being collected from the new areas to be sent to High Security Animal Disease Laboratory, Bhopal.
“Fresh cases of mortality have been reported from Khargram and Burwan blocks of Murshidabad district which are adjoining to the affected area of Birbhum,” Kumar said.