Assam: Culling goes on after fresh bird flu outbreak

01 Dec 2008

The culling operation is going on at rapid pace at Kamrup district in Assam, official sources said on Monday and added that since Friday, the operation teams have culled nearby 40,000 birds (chickens and ducks) of estimated 60,000 birds directed to be killed after the confirmation of the H5N1 avian influenza virus.

The operation is likely to be completed in the next two or three days, said Manoranjan Choudhury, deputy director of the Assam Veterinary department.

A Central health ministry team is assisting the 22 rapid response teams of local veterinary and animal husbandry department to wrap up this operation as soon as possible. The culling teams have targeted to carried out the culling operation in about 48 villages within a five kilometre radius of village Thakurchuba in Kamrup district, about 40 km west of Assam's main city, Guwahati.

(more)

Last week, the sudden death of over 300 birds within that area had led the health ministry department to conduct the H5N1 virus test which strains had been found positive, following which the Central government ordered the state veterinary and animal husbandry department to maintain strict surveillance on all poultry farms in the state.

The selling and purchasing of birds have been banned within the area, and section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) has been imposed on the district to combat the infection of H5N1 virus that earlier easily spread among birds and later transmitted to human beings, causing the epidemic death of birds and human beings.

Earlier, on the question of fresh bird flu epidemic, Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss Saturday (Nov 29) said, “the government is well aware about this fresh bird flu outbreak and it is mainly due to migratory birds.” He said that all possible help would be provided to the state government in terms of human resource, medicines, masks and other preventive measures.

A team from central health ministry has already been sent to assist the state government’s health department, and government is closely monitoring the situation, added Ramadoss.

India has already witnessed several outbreaks of bird flu earlier in states like Maharashtra, West Bengal and a few northeastern states whose experience of handling the situation is helping the government, health ministry official said.

Describing the reason for frequent bird flu epidemic in India, Ramadoss had said, “Winter is a favourable period for the spread of bird flu. These migratory birds come southwards (to India) from other countries."