Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Bird Flu Spreads In Tripura

 

 

# 1902

 

Despite culling 4 million birds this year, India's avian flu woes are not over, as is evidenced by this latest outbreak in the state of Tripura.  

 

India is discovering that, once entrenched in a region, bird flu is exceptionally difficult to eradicate.  Since the major outbreak in January was declared contained, there have been intermittent outbreaks among poultry in North Eastern India  and West Bengal. 

 

This report from Reuters via The Straits Times.

 

 

 

April 22, 2008

Bird flu resurfaces in north-east India

GUWAHATI (India) - AUTHORITIES in a remote northeastern state of India prepared to cull thousands of chickens after a fresh outbreak of bird flu in poultry was detected on Tuesday, officials said.

 

More than 25,000 chickens and ducks have already been slaughtered in Tripura state this month after eight villages were hit by the H5N1 strain.

 

On Tuesday, officials said bird flu had spread to a new area.

 

'Bird flu has been confirmed for the second time in Tripura,' Kartick Debbarma, a senior animal resources official said in Agartala, Tripura's capital.

 

'It is the H5N1 strain.'

 

The remote northeastern state borders Bangladesh, where more than half the country's districts have been affected by the virus.