Bird flu spreads wings in WB; Assam launches culling operation

Zeenews Bureau

Guwahati, Dec 14: India’s brush with bird flu is close to becoming a reality with Assam now gearing for a massive culling operation to stop the virus from affecting humans. Hundreds of chicken deaths have also been reported from Maldah district of West Bengal in last few days.

Taking stock of the situation, Assam has already started the culling operations in the bird flu-hit state while the administration started a drive to make people aware about the disease.

"Culling operations are on at large scale in all the six affected districts even as a massive publicity campaign including announcement by loudspeakers have been launched to make people aware of the do's and don’ts of the disease," Shyam Mewara, Commissioner Veterinary and Animal Husbandry, said.

He said compensation has been paid to the affected poultry breeders and so far Rs 97 lakh has been given by the state government.

Confirming that there was no report of bird flu among humans, the Commissioner said precautionary measures were on and care was being taken to prevent the spread of the disease to new areas. The government has also banned sale and movement of poultry products.

Official sources said that nearly 100 persons from Hajo, Rampur and Azara blocks who were suffering from upper respiratory tract infection were being kept under surveillance.

Two districts of Kamrup, rural and metro, of which the capital city of Guwahati is a part, Nalbari, Barpeta, Chirang and Dibrugarh districts have been affected by the virus.

Meanwhile, a senior district official in Malda district of West Bengal has told media that hundreds of chicken died in Budhia and Satgharia area under Englishbazar Block of the district in the last three-four days.

He also added that the Animal Resources Development department personnel have collected the samples of the dead chickens and have send them for testing.

“Only after we receive the report, can we say whether the death of chicken is due to bird flu or any other disease”, District Magistrate Shreedhar Ghosh said.

Bureau Report