Fatal Bird Flu spreads further in West Bengal

{image-bird flu_23012008.jpg news.oneindia.in}Kolkata, Jan 23: The deadly Bird Flu spread further in West Bengal, affecting two more districts today, as authorities continued to grapple with the aggressive virus, raging across half the state. According to sources in the state health department, the disease, so far afflicitng seven districts, spread to Cooch Behar and Hooghly respectively in the north and south regions of the state, taking the number of affected districts to nine.

The blood samples of dead chickens from these two districts, which were sent for test to High Security Animal Diseases Laboratory (HSADL), Bhopal, proved positive for the virus. The disease is already prevailing in Birbhum, Bankura, Murshidabad, South Dinajpur, Bardhaman, Nadia and Malda. Earlier this week, the state government had set a target of culling 20 lakh poultry within the next seven days.

As per yesterday's reports from Howrah, a total mortality of 1,13,796 poultry birds had been reported from Birbhum, South Dinajpur, Murshidabad, Nadia, South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, Burdwan and Bankura districts of the state.

UNI