Fresh outbreak of bird flu in Murshidabad

Less than three months after the country was declared free from avian influenza (bird flu) in October,it has again been hit by another outbreak in the Khargram block of Murshidabad district of West Bengal. Poultry samples collected from the block tested positive for H5 strain of avian influenza during the tests conducted at the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory (HSADL),Bhopal. The district authorities immediately started a culling drive after the result was intimated to the West Bengal government on Thursday.

Subsequently,the Central government also wrote to the state Chief Secretary asking the state government to undertake culling of all poultry within a radius of 3 km from the centre of the bird flu outbreak,which has been identified as Nagar and Hazrabati villages in the block. The government has also asked the state government for surveillance over a radius up to 10 km from the centre of infection.

The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairy at the Centre has asked the state administration to compensate the loss of poultry on account of culling of birds and eggs at the time of culling itself.

Meanwhile,the Union Health Ministry has rushed a team to the state. On Friday,20 culling teams were pressed into operation in 20 villages across six gram panchayats.