India-Assam-Bird Flu
The northeastern Indian state of Assam sounded a health alert following bird flu virus spreading to newer areas as authorities banned the sale of poultry, officials Wednesday said.
"Samples of dead birds tested positive for avian influenza in a number of villages in Kamrup district," district magistrate R.C. Jain said.
"We shall be carrying out culling of birds in 11 villages from Thursday." There was an outbreak of bird flu last week in the Hajo area of Kamrup district, about 35 km from Assam's main city of Guwahati.
"An estimated 60,000 birds were ordered to be killed in 48 villages within a five km radius from where avian influenza was reported," Jain said.
The culling operations in the 48 villages are almost complete. The poultry targeted includes ducks and chickens.
"It is a matter of worry with the virus now spreading to new areas and hence a maximum health alert was sounded with teams of doctors and paramedics taking precautionary measures so that humans are not affected," Parthajyoti Gogoi, a senior central health ministry official, said.
The Indian health ministry last confirmed outbreak of bird flu after laboratory tests confirmed strains of the deadly H5N1 avian influenza. More than 600 birds died in the past one week in Kamrup district.
Assam's veterinary and animal husbandry department has sounded an alert and maintaining strict surveillance on farms in the state with veterinarians carrying out checks on all poultry.
A central health ministry team is also assisting the local authorities in the culling operations.
The World Health Organization fears that the H5N1 strain could mutate into a form easily transmitted between humans and spark a deadly pandemic.
Sale and purchase of poultry in Assam was banned.
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