Aryavartha
18-02-2006, 19:29
Well it had to happen with the migratory season under way. Over 50,000 chicken have died in a border district Nandurbar of Maharashtra and Gujarat. THe Air Force is on Alert for distributing medicine. Safety cordon is established and over half a million chickens are to be culled.
So far no case of transmission from bird to human.
http://in.rediff.com/news/2006/feb/18flu.htm
Bird flu cases strike Maharashtra
February 18, 2006 17:55 IST
Last Updated: February 18, 2006 21:37 IST
In the first instance of the deadly avian flu virus in India, the Maharashtra government on Saturday said chicken have died of the disease in the Nandurbar and Dhule districts, which have a large number of poultry farms, even as the state authorities have rushed immediate medical help to the affected areas.
The high security animal disease laboratory in Bhopal, where poultry samples were sent has confirmed that seven samples had strains of the deadly H5N1 avian flu virus, official sources said in Mumbai.
State Animal Husbandry Minister Anees Ahmed has assured that all preliminary precautions have been taken to prevent the spread of infections to other areas and the entire area has been isolated, and the infected birds have been kept separately.
The minister also cautioned people in Dhule and Nandurbar districts from consuming poultry products and emergency medical teams and medicines were rushed to the affected areas. There was however no cases of the human infection.
Medicines, airlifted from Delhi, have reached Aurangabad and are being taken to Nandurbar by road, the minister, who is currently in Nagpur said.
Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar told reporters that the government was taking all measures on a war footing to combat the disease and that there was no cause for panic. "This was the first time that India has been affected by the bird flu virus, but we are confident of tackling the situation."
Over 50,000 birds have died in the area, having 52 poultry farms, during the past two weeks but senior officials in the animal husbandry department said the cause of death was initially thought to be "ranikhet" and not bird flu.
Poultry birds within a three kilometer radius of Nandurba from where samples were sent to Bhopal will be culled using carbon monoxide and through birdfeed mixed with medicines, the minister said adding neighbouring Gujarat has been alerted as large number of poultry from Maharashtra is supplied to that state, especially Surat.
The Maharashtra government has alerted authorities in neighbouring Gujarat who have set up a 24-hour monitoring cell at Surat.
Eleven veterinary teams have been rushed to Surat, D K Rao, secretary, animal husbandry said at Ahmedabad adding the state has nine poultry farms with about 18,000 birds from where about 100 chicken deaths were reported during the past 10 to 12 days.
However, he said this rate of poultry deaths was normal.
Meanwhile, in New Delhi, the Centre activated its action plan to prevent the spread of bird flu and officials said Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss would speak with Maharashtra authorities on the issue.
"The health ministry is seized of the entire development and appropriate action is mooted at appropriate level," sources said adding, as a precautionary measure ministry officials were already deputed to all states.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4727312.stm
India has detected its first cases of the deadly H5N1 bird flu strain in western Maharashtra state.
..
The health ministry said that though no human cases had been detected so far, some people were being tested for the disease.
The H5N1 strain has killed at least 90 people since early 2003, mostly in south-east Asia.
..
Mr Ahmed said more than half a million chickens in the affected area would be culled in the next 24 hours to prevent the disease from spreading to human beings.
Another million chicken in farms located 10km around the affected area would be vaccinated.
Mr Ahmed said the state government was sending a team of 200 veterinary doctors to the area, more than 400km (250 miles) northeast of Mumbai.
"We have not decided on whether to evacuate people from the area," he was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.
A 3-km (2-mile) safety cordon has been established around the site where the dead birds were found. ..
..
A poultry owner in the area said 400,000 chickens in poultry farms had been affected by the virus.
Indian health officials have advised people against eating chicken until further notice.
So far no case of transmission from bird to human.
http://in.rediff.com/news/2006/feb/18flu.htm
Bird flu cases strike Maharashtra
February 18, 2006 17:55 IST
Last Updated: February 18, 2006 21:37 IST
In the first instance of the deadly avian flu virus in India, the Maharashtra government on Saturday said chicken have died of the disease in the Nandurbar and Dhule districts, which have a large number of poultry farms, even as the state authorities have rushed immediate medical help to the affected areas.
The high security animal disease laboratory in Bhopal, where poultry samples were sent has confirmed that seven samples had strains of the deadly H5N1 avian flu virus, official sources said in Mumbai.
State Animal Husbandry Minister Anees Ahmed has assured that all preliminary precautions have been taken to prevent the spread of infections to other areas and the entire area has been isolated, and the infected birds have been kept separately.
The minister also cautioned people in Dhule and Nandurbar districts from consuming poultry products and emergency medical teams and medicines were rushed to the affected areas. There was however no cases of the human infection.
Medicines, airlifted from Delhi, have reached Aurangabad and are being taken to Nandurbar by road, the minister, who is currently in Nagpur said.
Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar told reporters that the government was taking all measures on a war footing to combat the disease and that there was no cause for panic. "This was the first time that India has been affected by the bird flu virus, but we are confident of tackling the situation."
Over 50,000 birds have died in the area, having 52 poultry farms, during the past two weeks but senior officials in the animal husbandry department said the cause of death was initially thought to be "ranikhet" and not bird flu.
Poultry birds within a three kilometer radius of Nandurba from where samples were sent to Bhopal will be culled using carbon monoxide and through birdfeed mixed with medicines, the minister said adding neighbouring Gujarat has been alerted as large number of poultry from Maharashtra is supplied to that state, especially Surat.
The Maharashtra government has alerted authorities in neighbouring Gujarat who have set up a 24-hour monitoring cell at Surat.
Eleven veterinary teams have been rushed to Surat, D K Rao, secretary, animal husbandry said at Ahmedabad adding the state has nine poultry farms with about 18,000 birds from where about 100 chicken deaths were reported during the past 10 to 12 days.
However, he said this rate of poultry deaths was normal.
Meanwhile, in New Delhi, the Centre activated its action plan to prevent the spread of bird flu and officials said Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss would speak with Maharashtra authorities on the issue.
"The health ministry is seized of the entire development and appropriate action is mooted at appropriate level," sources said adding, as a precautionary measure ministry officials were already deputed to all states.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4727312.stm
India has detected its first cases of the deadly H5N1 bird flu strain in western Maharashtra state.
..
The health ministry said that though no human cases had been detected so far, some people were being tested for the disease.
The H5N1 strain has killed at least 90 people since early 2003, mostly in south-east Asia.
..
Mr Ahmed said more than half a million chickens in the affected area would be culled in the next 24 hours to prevent the disease from spreading to human beings.
Another million chicken in farms located 10km around the affected area would be vaccinated.
Mr Ahmed said the state government was sending a team of 200 veterinary doctors to the area, more than 400km (250 miles) northeast of Mumbai.
"We have not decided on whether to evacuate people from the area," he was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.
A 3-km (2-mile) safety cordon has been established around the site where the dead birds were found. ..
..
A poultry owner in the area said 400,000 chickens in poultry farms had been affected by the virus.
Indian health officials have advised people against eating chicken until further notice.