By IANS
Kolkata : Bird flu encircled this eastern India metropolis of over 15 million people Wednesday as West Bengal government officials started culling poultry in the 14th district of the state.
Officials began culling poultry in North 24 Parganas district after chicken deaths and preliminary tests conducted by the state government suggested the presence of the virus that causes the deadly H5N1 strain of avian influenza.
“We are awaiting the report of the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory (HSADL) in Bhopal but since the union government has permitted us to notify and start the culling, we began the process after our tests suggested the presence of the virus at Baduria in North 24 Parganas,” West Bengal Animal Husbandry Minister Anisur Rahman said Wednesday.
He, however, told IANS there were no fresh reports of chicken deaths except in a farm at Baduria, barely 50 km from Kolkata.
If the tests at the Bhopal laboratory confirm the bird flu, 14 of the 19 districts of the state would be under the grip of the deadly virus though 2.2 million birds have already been culled since the outbreak was reported Jan 15.
The 14 districts include North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas and Howrah, which encircle Kolkata. Hooghly, another affected district, is also very close.
Other bird flu affected districts in West Bengal are Birbhum, South Dinajpur, Murshidabad, Nadia, Burdwan, Bankura, Malda, Cooch Behar, Purulia and West Midnapore.
Rahman confirmed that the samples collected at Haringhata near Kalyani in Nadia district have tested positive. Bird flu was confirmed in three more blocks of Birbhum and Howrah districts Tuesday.
“As per the latest report received Tuesday from the HSADL in Bhopal, samples collected from Panchla block of Howrah district, Suri-I, Mayureswar-I and Nanoor blocks of Birbhum and Kalyani area of Nadia have tested positive for avian influenza,” the union agriculture ministry said in a statement in New Delhi Tuesday.
“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 among humans 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 national capital.
Rahman said: “The situation is a little worrying. But the menace is now under control and the overall situation is improving.”
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has described the bird flu outbreak in West Bengal as “serious”.