H5N1 Spread to Sixth District in Assam India

Recombinomics Commentary 17:51
December 7, 2008


An alert has been sounded in lower Assam districts, as bird-flu is spreading to Nalbari, Baska, Barpeta and Bongaigaon from Kamrup (rural) district, official sources said here today.

Starting from Hajo revenue circle of Kamrup (rural) early this week the avian disease spread to fresh districts, forcing the government to deploy several rapid response teams in the affected areas for culling of the birds.

Along with the rapid response team, specialists and doctors were deployed in the affected areas, the sources said.

Kamrup (rural) district deputy commissioner R C Jain told that the avian flu was suspected to have been brought into the state by migratory birds.

Stating that some poultry owners were resisting culling, official sources said their birds would be culled with police assistance and legal action would be taken against them.

The outbreak of bird-flu was confirmed by the Bhopal-based animal disease laboratory, after testing blood samples of the affected birds.

The above comments indicate H5N1 has spread to a sixth district, Bongaigaon (see updated map). This rapid spread has led to alerts in adjacent areas, including states to the south (Tripura and Mizoram), raising concerns that the spread of H5N1 has extended significantly beyond the confirmed areas.

Recent media reports indicated positive samples were collected 10 days earlier, raising concerns that H5N1 has already spread into adjacent districts in Assam, and states adjacent to Assam. West Bengal is only 30 miles from the Bogaigaon district capital and outbreaks in Kamrup are only 10 miles from the border with Meghalaya.

Moreover, the culling delays could lead to infection of local resident and migratory birds, which could lead to significant spread, even if borders are closed.

The rapid spread of H5N1 in Assam, and advance of significant temperature drops, remains cause for concern.