# 2517
Despite attempts at containment, the outbreak of bird flu among poultry in Hajo, Assam has apparently spread, and now threatens to encroach into the state's largest city, Guwahati.
Guwahati, with a population approaching 1 million, is one of the fastest growing cities in India, and Dispur, the capital of Assam, is situated within the city.
This report from New Kerala.
Bird flu reaches outskirts of Guwahati
Guwahati, Dec 5 : Culling operations began here at Patgaon, in the outskirts of the city in Assam, amid fears of an outbreak of Bird flu in the region.
The poultry sale has been banned in the area as experts were debating over the health hazard in properly cooked chicken.
Starting from Hajo area, the disease spread over almost half of the entire Kamrup (Rural) and all the pockets around the city as these places have major broiler business supplying chickens to the huge market of the city, said Kamrup DC R C Jain.
Deputy Commissioner Mr Jain confirmed that bird flu has spread to Azara area of the district after affecting a large part of Hajo in the district.
Bhopal-based High Security Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (HSADL) has already confirmed presence of the virus of the dreaded bird flu among the diseased backyard fowls of Sarpara and Patgaon villages of Kamrup district.
This is the fourth case of outbreak of the dreaded disease caused by the H5N1 virus in the State. The first case was detected in Rajabazar village of Hajo Revenue Circle in the same district on November 27.
The Sarpara village is located under the Rampur Development Block of Palasbari Revenue Circle, while Patgaon comes under the Rani Development Block of Azara Revenue Circle, just two km from the Guwahati airport.
Culling operations in the Rani and Rampur development block areas covering around 22 villages has started and 40 Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) have been formed to conduct the operations in an area of three km radius in each of the blocks for eliminating the entire backyard poultry population.
Meanwhile, preparations are on to launch the moping operations in the 20 villages of Hajo revenue circle which have been covered under culling operations for the last few days.
According to official sources, moping operations are expected to start in the revenue circle tomorrow.
Till yesterday evening, around 46,000 backyard birds were killed in the area, sources added.--- UNI
