# 999
This past week there has been much concern of the deaths of poultry and other farm animals in India, and bird flu fears are running high. Neighboring Bangladesh and Pakistan both have had confirmed avian flu activity in recent months.
This past week deaths of poultry and other farm animals prompted emergency meetings and the taking of more samples. This excerpt from a ProMed release on Tuesday.
In the previous week [also], serum samples collected from various places were sent to the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory, Bhopal for detection of avian influenza. The samples were collected from places in the state where there were reports of deaths of chickens and other farm animals that could have been caused by avian virus, the source said.
The 1st sample was sent on 11 Jul 2007, while the 2nd sample was sent Monday [16 Jul 2007], and the results of both are yet to be received by the state authorities.
Apparently, the samples have not arrived at the lab for testing. No explanation is given. And results from previous samples, some sent more than 10 days ago, have not been released.
Bird flu test results fail to arrive
The Imphal Free Press
IMPHAL, Jul 21: The much awaited results of the sera samples from the dead birds, including nasal fluid and cloacal samples which were sent to a Bhopal laboratory and were expected today was not received, official sources said.
The source also could not reveal the outcome of the tests so far. The samples were sent on July 7 and July 11 last for pathogenic avian influenza (bird flu) test.
This appears to be an ongoing problem in India.
Last year, according to news reports, the vast majority of samples taken in India were discarded without ever being tested because of improper collection and transportation.
This from a blog I wrote in April 2006.
Not to be outdone, Indian testing labs have admitted that that nearly all of the samples collected in the field have been poorly collected, making testing impossible. Most are disposed of without even attempting to detect the virus. Yet this has not stopped officials there from announcing that all tests were negative.
Missing or delayed biological samples and taking more than 10 days to run tests. Neither bode well if our first defense against emerging zoonotic diseases is prompt and efficient surveillance.
