No new cases of avian influenza detected in affected districts

New Delhi, Feb 6 (UNI) The total number of bird flu-affected districts in West Bengal remains at 14.

According to information available here, a total population of 33.98 lakhs is under surveillance. In 0-3 km area, 1919 people with fever have been detected of which three had exposure to sick/infected birds. In the 3-10 km area, a total of 2033 people have been detected with fever of which two had exposure history.

These cases have been followed up.

No suspected human cases of avian influenza have been detected in any of the affected districts.

The report says Jharkhand, Bihar and Assam that share a common border with West Bengal have been instructed to ban and prevent any entry of poultry or poultry related products from West Bengal into these states. Other states have also been put on alert.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) has supplied 4,20,000 capsules of Tamiflu, 5000 personal protective equipment, 5000 N-95 masks and 20 ventilators and 150 bottles of Tamiflu syrup.

A stock of 10,000 Tamiflu and 500 PPE have been sent to the states of Assam, Bihar and Jharkhand.

The IEC campaign initiated by MOHFW as stated in the earlier reports is continuing. Central Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) have been deployed to all the districts. Trained RRTs from Gujarat and Goa have been deployed to the affected areas. The team from Maharashtra has been assigned the task of reviewing the preparedness in the unaffected districts of Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling and North Dinajpur.

The manpower under Pulse-Polio programme supported by WHO has been requested to conduct surviellance for reporting influenza like illness in the districts adjoining affected areas of West Bengal.

This includes the bordering districts of Assam, Jharkhand, Bihar, Tripura and Orissa.

One day training programme for microbiologists has been conducted at NICD, Delhi To prevent spread of the disease into the neighbouring states, it has been decided to create a poultry free ring of 5 km width along the border of West Bengal in the states of Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand and Orissa.

The situation is being monitored on a daily basis.

A control room is functioning from the Emergency Medical Relief division of the Health Ministry here, the report added.

UNI/BKS LS RN1758