Bird flu spreads; 25 villages quarantined in Jalgaon

Jalgaon, Mar 17 (UNI) Even as the state government is getting closer to accomplishing the task of culling the estimated 70,000 birds tonight after having quarantined 25 villages in four talukas, the deadly avian flu appeared to have surfaced in villages of four more talukas of this district in northern Maharashtra with reports of chickens falling dead.

While confirming reports of layers dying in villages of Jamner, Parola, Pachora and Badgaon talukas, district Collector Vijay Singhal this evening said about 100 samples of the dead birds from these villages are being sent to the High Security Animal Diseases Laboratory at Bhopal to test the presence of dreaded H5N1 virus, if any.

Earlier, the second outbreak of the bird flu in the state was reported in four talukas of Raver, Dharangaon, Yuval and Chopada of the district on March 14, nearly a month after India's first outbreak of the avian flu was confirmed at Navapur in Nandurbar district, also in northern Maharashtra, on February 18.

Briefing reporters, the Collector said 62,743 birds had been culled till this evening in a 10 km radius of the four worst-hit villages where the presence of the deadly virus was confirmed first on March 14.

These four worst-hit villages are Hated in Chopda taluka, Sawada in Raver taluka, Salva in Dharangaon taluka and Marul in Yuval taluka, located in the neighbourhood of Nandurbar district.

The Collector said 21 bus stations in 25 quarantined villages, located in the vicinity of four worst-hit villages, have been shut and bus services to and from these villages suspended. Similarly, 19 weekly bazars, which used to be held in these villages, have also been ordered closed untill further order in a bid to prevent sale and purchase of chickens and eggs.

Most households sold birds and eggs in these weekly markets to earn their livelihood. He said a 400-strong police force have been deployed to enforce the quarantine.

The Collector said of the estimated four lakh population in 174 villages in a ten kms radius of the four danger zones identified in as many villages, nearly one lakh people have been examined but no case of suspected human influenza has been reported so far.

Mr Singhal said spraying and fumigation of poultry backywards have begun even as the culling operation will continue for a few more days to scout and kill birds in public residences.

He said unlike Navapur where poultry was confined to 52 commercial farms, the task of locating and killing birds in 174 villages of Jalgaon is cumbersome as most livestock was being reared in the backyards these residences.

He said they have so far disbursed a compensation amount of Rs 20 lakh at the rate of Rs 40 each for a culled bird.

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