By NNN-PTI
Kolkata : Cooch Behar and Hoogly were Wednesday declared bird flu hit, taking the number of affected districts in the state to nine even as authorities set a target of culling three lakh chicken daily.
“Samples of chicken sent from Cooch Behar and Hooghly districts to the Highrisk Security Disease Laboratory (HSDL) in Bhopal yesterday tested positive,” Animal Resources Development Minister Anisur Rahaman told PTI.
“We have been informed by the Centre. Steps will be taken accordingly,” he said.
“Steps are being taken to officially notify both Cooch Behar and Hooghly districts bird flu affected, for the next course of action including culling,” Rahaman said.
The samples which tested positive were from Dinhata in Cooch Behar district and Balagarh in Hooghly district, he said.
There was, however, no case of humans beings being affected, the minister said.
The target of culling which was set at 20 lakh was also likely to increase, he said.
The daily target now was three lakh with 600 teams on the job from today, he said.
About 150 technical teams from eight states, including Haryana, Assam, Maharashtra, Orissa and Jharkhand would soon join to monitor the culling.
West Bengal’s border with neighbouring states has already been sealed, the minister said.
Meanwhile in SHILLONG, Meghalaya has sounded a high alert and an expert team is expected to reach the state Thursday to oversee precautionary measures.
Meghalaya Chief Secretary Ranjan Chatterjee said an extensive awareness campaign has been launched to prevent an outbreak.
“All veterinary officials, especially those along the Bangladesh borders, have been asked to monitor the situation closely and take all possible preventive measures,” he said.
With cross-border smuggling of poultry reportedly continuing in the Indo-Bangla border area, additional check gates have been set along the border. The state government has already banned the entry of chickens from outside and has been inspecting those that have already entered.
The administration has collected around 100 blood samples of chicken from Ranikor, Borsora, Baghmara and other villages located near the Indo-Bangla border and has sent them for tests to Bhopal and Kolkata.
An expert team from the Union Animal Husbandry and Health departments would reach Meghalaya Thursday to assess the situation. The state Animal Husbandry and Veterinary department has conducted surveillance, early detection and vaccination programmes.
A BSF official said the state’s borders with Bangladesh have been sealed and the authorities have instructed all its troops along the Indo-Bangla border to be on vigil.
The government has constituted 150 rapid response teams, while 2170 “personnel protective equipment” have been kept ready.