Recombinomics: H5N1 Poultry Deaths Cause Panic In Malda West Bengal

Commentary

H5N1 Poultry Deaths Cause Panic In Malda West Bengal
Recombinomics Commentary 00:51
December 15, 2008

Hasnara Begum, the Narhatta gram panchayat member, said the chicken deaths have created panic among the villagers

Over 5,000 birds died in Satghoria, Budhia, Sabji Para, Sadhya Para and adjoining areas during the past one week

Idani Bibi of Budhia said she had lost 110 chickens last night. “We have dumped them in a field half-a-kilometre away.” The Narhatta gram panchayat member, who lives in Budhia, said eight chickens died in her house today. “We suspect that the birds are dying because of flu.

The dead birds are being dumped in an open space and the stench is pervading the air. The dogs and cats are feasting on them. Many fear that the villagers may get affected.

Sit said his department did not have the figures of dead chickens. “Our team had visited Satghoria to collect blood samples but we are not aware of the deaths in Budhia.”

The above comments describe the explosion of chicken and duck deaths in the English Bazar region of Malda in West Bengal (see update map). Earlier reports described 200-250 deaths in one village and a lack of response from officials. The sudden death and casual discard of the birds created concerns since children were playing with the carcasses which were also being eaten by dogs.

As happened last season, the official response was slow. One media report indicated officials said there were only four deaths in one village and one in another, and officials took three samples for testing. Some reports indicate that blood samples were collected, which generally produce false negatives.

The above comments indicate that the delays have led to an explosion of deaths in multiple villages, yet officials maintained that there will be no culling until H5N1 is confirmed in Calcutta.

In neighboring Assam, outbreaks have been confirmed throughout the Valley, and there is talk of culling all birds in the Brahmaputra Valley, which runs through the entire width of Assam.

Similarly, H5N1 is spreading in Bangladesh, with outbreaks in the north near West Bengal and multiple outbreaks in and around Dhaka, where a child was H5N1 confirmed last season.

In Assam, there are 90 URI cases in Barpeta, 70 hospitalized patients in Rampur, and symptomatic cullers in Chirang, as Assam borrows ventilators.

Moreover, all of this activity is in December, when the daytime temperature is in the 70’s or 80’s.

The accelerating H5N1 spread and associated symptomatic patients increase concerns.
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