Health scare in Indian state as bird flu spreads

13-Dec-2008 04:10 hrs

A health worker wrings a chicken during a cull in the bird flu-affected area of Khanapara in Guwahati, the capital city of Indias northeastern state of Assam. Medical workers were going door-to-door to look for people with symptoms of avian influenza in northeast India Friday as the infection in birds spread further, officials said.

Medical workers were going door-to-door to look for people with symptoms of avian influenza in northeast India Friday as the infection in birds spread further, officials said.

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So far, no human cases of infection of the deadly H5N1 virus have been reported in the affected Assam state, but authorities stepped up a health drive after 150 people developed some symptoms of the infection.

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"About 150 people were treated for fever and upper respiratory tract infections in bird flu-hit areas. We have put the patients in isolation," senior health official Parthajyoti Gogoi told AFP.

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Bird flu was ruled out in all cases, the official said.

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