Bird Flu within 20 kms of Kolkata

Hooghly, Jan 31: The dreaded Avian Influenza took another step towards the metro, even as the government is taking steps to block all gateways to the city, with confirmation of the strain at Hatpur village under Chanditala police station here some 20 kms from Kolkata.

District Magistrate Vinod Kumar said here today that several birds had died of unnatural causes in the area, following which, the blood samples were sent for tests and the authorities confirmed that the dreaded disease had taken another village in its grip, thus inching closer towards the state capital.

The district administration was scheduled to hold a meeting today with the animal resource and health department officials to decide on the action plan to tackle the crisis, Mr Kumar said, adding that culling would begin in the village tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the culling process, at the Bansberia municipal area in the district, where bird flu had already been confirmed yesterday would begin today, Kumar said.

About 15 veterinary teams would execute the culling operations and a target of 10,000 chickens, to be disposed of, had been set for the day.

About 30,000 birds had been disposed of so far in the Hooghly district, the DM added.

UNI