India: Chicken from infected farms flood Kolkata

Aug 31, 2012
KOLKATA: Chicken from farms infected with a yet-to-be identified disease in North 24-Parganas' Baduria are being sold in markets across the city for nearly a month now. Though owners of the infected poultry farms said they had informed the block livestock development officer (BLDO), the latter has remained mum on the matter following pressure from industry and politicians.

According to poultry farm owners in Baduria, the deaths began around 27 days ago from the farm of one Gulab Nabi in Kankrasuti village. It then quickly spread to other farms there. "Within days of the first death, we informed the BLDO but since the animal husbandry department did not act, we are continuing to do business," said poultry farm owner Syed Md Mijanur Rehman Gaji.

Yet, the animal husbandry department failed to implement the protocol that it needs to take in case of a suspected outbreak. According to the plan, officials from the veterinary office need to immediately visit the site when there are any unnatural deaths or when a large number of chicken die. Also, wild and migratory birds in the area need to be monitored for at least 24 hours. The investigating officer needs to be equipped with necessary kit to make preliminary probe, following which a clinical investigation is to be carried out by a disease investigation officer.

"Following the report of the investigating officer, pathological samples of at least five diseased birds need to be sent to the Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory in Belgachia. Till the results come, the entire suspected farm or site has to be cordoned off, barring movement of people, poultry, eggs or dead carcass from the site," a veterinarian said.

All these norms have been flouted as business goes on as usual at Baduria despite a disease infecting 15,000-20,000 small and medium sized poultry farms and leaving several thousand chickens dead in August. Chicken traders who sell the poultry in wholesale markets in the state have kept the matter under wraps, allowing chicken from these farms to be sold at retail points for consumption in homes and restaurants.

Poultry farm owners alleged that the deaths were hushed up following pressure from a section of the industry and politicians. While the former feared major losses in the event of a scare, the latter does not want the government to be embarrassed with avian influenza or bird flu at a time when it is battling to play down dengue that has reached endemic proportions in Kolkata and North 24-Parganas.

At the wholesale mart in Kolkata's New Market, over 10,000 chickens arrive from Baduria and Basirhat daily. New Market Poultry Association member Md Shahabuddin refused any knowledge of the deaths and brushed it off as rumour. "We don't know about any unnatural deaths at poultry farms in Baduria. In any case, none of the chicken appears to be sick," he said.

But with deaths continuing unabated in Baduria, agitated poultry farm owners blocked a road outside the BDO office demanding state intervention in controlling the outbreak.

State animal husbandry department sources said poultry in Baduria being infected by avian influenza or bird flu was a distinct possibility. Though a dead chicken has been analysed with a virus, department officials are mum on the cause of the death. If bird flu is detected, poultry in the entire region will have to be culled.