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Bird flu outbreak in Jalpaiguri district

Kolkata: There has been a fresh attack of avian flu in West Bengal, the third to be reported so far this month — this time in Jalpaiguri district.

Nearly 120 chickens have died in the Sadar area over the past few days and samples of the serum of dead poultry birds sent to the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory in Bhopal has tested positive for avian flu, a senior district official told The Hindu over telephone from Jalpaiguri on Thursday.

Culling operations have begun in a radius of five km from the backyard poultry farms from where the deaths were reported. A notification to this effect had been received from the Department of Animal Resources Development, he said. Restrictions have been imposed on the sale and movement of poultry birds and products from the area.

Culling operations have just been completed in the English Bazaar Block of Malda district following the death of more than 800 chickens in a State poultry farm. Nearly 24,000 poultry birds were destroyed in the operations that began on March 13.

Earlier, an outbreak of the disease was reported from two blocks of Murshidabad district. More than 300 chickens died, following which nearly 50,000 poultry birds were culled.

Avian flu spread across much of the State in January-February resulting in the death of more than 1.5 lakh birds. Nearly 40 lakh birds were subsequently culled.

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