Commentary
H5N1 Health Alert in Assam India
Recombinomics Commentary 11:58
December 3, 2008
"Samples of dead birds tested positive for avian influenza in a number of villages in Kamrup district," district magistrate RC Jain said.
The above comments describe a health alert issued in Assam. H5N1 was confirmed last week and culling within a 3 or 5 km radius was initiated. However, there were poultry deaths outside of the 5 km radius, and new culling sites were announced daily. The above comments indicate the new culling locations were linked to positive lab results (see updated map).
The spread of H5N1 is not a surprise. Bangladesh has also confirmed H5N1 and both countries had massive outbreaks which began almost a year ago. Media reports have cited government officials who cited migratory birds, which migrate into the region at this time of the year.
Although India has yet to confirm H5N1 in anything but poultry, Bangladesh confirmed H5N1 in dead crows near dead or dying poultry, and excessive crow deaths were reported in India also, although positive H5N1 results were not reported. Similarly, wild birds died in India last season and were diagnosed as having pneumonia, and common result of H5N1 infections.
This, although the sale of poultry has been banned, H5N1 infections of resident and migratory birds are likely to spread H5N1 in India and Bangladesh in the near term.
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