Second outbreak of birdflu in Maharashtra

Jalgaon, Maharashtra, Mar 14 (UNI) The Maharashtra government tonight reported four cases of birdflu in Jalgaon district in northern part of the state and ordered to slaughter 70,000 poultry stock in 25 villages of this district.

Culling of birds in 25 villages located in three to five km periphery of the four affected villages will begin tomorrow morning, Jalgaon Collector Vijay Singhal told UNI after attending an emergency meeting of officials of animal husbandry, health and police departments here.

''When birds started falling dead a week ago in Salva, Savdha, Marul and Hated villages in the neighbourhood of the first flu-hit Navapur town, officials collected and sent 26 samples of the dead birds for analysis at Bhopal's National Animal Disease lab,'' he said.

''Four samples tested positive for H5N1 virus, while two tested negative,'' he added.

He said 60 teams have been assembled to start the culling operation from tomorrow, adding that 30 more teams would join them from outside Jalgaon so that the task was accomplished as early as possible.

Animal Husbandy Minister Anees Ahmed, accompanied by the state Chief Secretary, is scheduled to visit the affected area tomorrow.

The 25 villages to be cleaned up are located in four tahsils - Darangaon, Chopda, Ravel and Yaval, according to Mr Singhal. He did not rule out the possibility of culling operation being taken beyond the five km radius, saying that it would be decided later at a review meeting.

India's first outbreak of the deadly avian flu was confirmed at Navapur on February 18. The authorities had slaughtered over two lakh birds and destroyed more than 12 lakh eggs in 52 poultries in a 10 km radius of Navapur, located close to Ravel tahsil of Jalgaon.

Earlier, state government spokesman Bhushan Gagrani said ''dormant strain of virus H5N1 has been detected in samples sent a week ago.'' The first outbreak of the disease has already caused extensive loss to poultry industry in the country, particularly in Maharashtra where the sale of chicken had just picked up to 30 per cent.

UNI XR-JM SA MA KN2242