Bird Flu, Avian influenza, confirmed in poultry samples from Nadia in West Bengal

NEW DELHI: With bird flu being confirmed in poultry samples from Nadia district in W Bengal, the Centre has asked the state government to immediately start culling of birds within a 3km radius of the foci of infection. Destruction of eggs and feed material have also been ordered to control spread to other regions.

The Central government will notify international organsiations urgently, on its part, on the developments.

It has been decided that the entire poultry will be culled within a radius of 3 kms. of the foci of infection. In addition to the culling strategy, surveillance will be carried out over a further radius up to 10 kilometres. Compensation for these will be paid, simultaneous to start of culling, on a 50:50 sharing basis between the Centre and the State under the “Assistance to States for Control of Animal Diseases” or ASCAD,which is a Central scheme, immediately, an official statement here said.

An agriculture ministry statement here said that affected samples were found in two villages (Tehatta 1 block) in Nadia district. The samples were forwarded to the ERDDL, Kolkata and High Security Animal Disease Laboratory (HSADL), Bhopal where they tested positive for H5 strain of Avian Influenza.

“Surveillance is being intensified throughout the state to monitor further spread of infection. West Bengal government has been asked to furnish a daily report on the control and containment operations to the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries in the Ministry of Agriculture,” an official statement here said. .

The Centre has advised a series of strategic actions to be taken immediately in the area by the Animal Husbandry and Public Health Departments. These include declaration of infected and surveillance areas, ban on movement of poultry and its products in the infected area/closure of poultry and egg markets and shops within a radius of 10 kms. from the infected site, ban on movement of farm personnel, restricting access to wild and stray birds, restricting access to the infected premises, destruction of birds, disposal of dead birds and infected materials; clean-up and disinfection followed by sealing of the premises and issue of sanitization certificate, post operations surveillance, imposition of legislative measures etc. along with necessary measures laid down in the Contingency Plan (2005) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.