Bird flu spreads in Jalgaon district

Jalgaon, Mar 15 (UNI) Culling operations in villages of Jalgaon in North Maharashtra, in the wake of the second outbreak of bird flu, could not start for want of labour even as the disease spread in the district.

District Collector Vijay Singhal told UNI that 100 birds had died at Erandol this morning, adding samples were being sent to the animal disease laboratory in Bhopal to find out if these birds had succumbed to the H5N1 virus.

The Collector said all four affected villages -- Salva, Savdha, Marul and Hated villages in the neighbourhood of the first flu-hit Navapur town, have been sealed pending culling operations which, would start tomorrow. Howver, digging of trenches to bury the culled birds have started and JCB machines have been employed for the same.

Mr Singhal said they have decided to cull birds in 174 villages instead of 25 decided yesterday because it appears that the disease had spread. He said gram sabha meetings have been convened in 25 villages to acquaint them with the gravity of the situation and seek their cooperation in tackling it.

Mr Singhal said special wards have been set up in rural hospitals in four tehsil towns of Darangaon, Chopda, Ravel and Yaval, adding that an isolatioon ward has also been created in the Jalgaon civil hospital to attend to emergencies if any.

Meanwhile, the Colector said Animal Husbandry Minister Anees Ahmed and Chief Secretary B Shankaran are expected in Jalgaon anytime for taking an on-the-spot stock of the situation and suggest remedial measures.

UNI XR-SA MAZ VD BS1503