Photo Credit – Wikipedia
# 6011
More than two weeks after the first reports started coming in that hundreds of dead crows have been found in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand, we now have a report that lab tests have finally confirmed the presence of the H5N1 virus.
Initial reports raised concerns over the possibility of avian flu, as in this November 29th report from the Deccan Herald.
Dead crows in Jharkhand raise fears of avian virus
Ranchi, Nov 29, (IANS):
Crows are dropping dead in cities and towns across Jharkhand since the last fortnight due to a mysterious disease. The state authorities have warned people not to touch the dead birds as they could be carrying a contagious avian virus.
The following day, the Times of India carried this report.
Bird flu-like virus killing Jharkhand crows
Jaideep Deogharia, TNN Dec 1, 2011, 12.48AM IST
RANCHI: The Centre has sent an alert to the Jharkhand government to remain cautious about a possible poultry infection, after a mysterious bird flu-like virus is believed to have killed between 500 and 1,000 crows in Jamshedpur, Bokaro and parts of Hazaribagh. Though an official intimation from the Union animal husbandry department is still to reach the state, a study on the crow deaths conducted at the animal disease laboratory in Bhopal found a virus resembling that of bird flu. However, the study allays fears about cattle, poultry and humans being infected because the virus was detected only in the brain of the dead crows.
This is a story that flublogia, including FluTrackers, has been following for several weeks. You’ll find more than 30 posts on FT regarding this story in this thread.
Over the past 10 days we’ve seen conflicting reports, with some attributing these bird deaths to bird flu, and others saying the cause was still undetermined.
Today it is being widely reported in the media (see here, and here) that laboratory testing in Bhopal has apparently detected the H5N1 virus in some of these dead birds.
Bird Flu killing crows in Jharkhand
Dec 15, 2011 |
In a worrying development, hundreds of crows have died in Jharkhand due to bird flu, a government official said Thursday.
The crows first started dying mysteriously last month in Jamshedpur district. This was followed by their deaths in Ranchi, Bokaro, Khuti, Sahebganj and other districts of the state.
I’ve looked for, but have not yet found, any official announcement from the Indian Government or on the Jharkhand government website.
