About 55 RRTs pressed into action for culling operation in WB

New Delhi, Jan 16 (UNI) As many as 55 Rapid Response Teams were today pressed into action to cull poultry birds in West Bengal's Birbhum district following the outbreak of the deadly avian flu in that state, officials said.

They said, as per reports received from Bengal, about 55 RRTs had started culling operations in the affected areas of Birbhum district since morning.

''Two teams have started operations of culling in the South Dinajpur district. Training and health check-ups of the RRTs for culling operations were completed yesterday,'' the officials said.

''The culling has taken place in five blocks and one municipality in Birbhum, State Poultry Farm, Balurghat, Dakshin Dinajpur and three villages of adjoining Murshidabad district. The problem is, therefore, localised. However, the state government has alerted other neighbouring states like Jharkhand and Bihar for maintaining high level of surveillance,'' the officials said.

Culling of a total of 54402 poultry birds had taken place in the Birbhum district, 1000 poultry birds in three villages of Khargaon Block falling in the adjoining district of Murshidabad and 266 poultry birds in the State Poultry Farm, Bolurghat, South Dinajpur.

UNI JSS HS GC2015