Panel to probe bird flu source

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Express news service

Posted online: Saturday , April 19, 2008 at 02:01:11
Updated: Saturday , April 19, 2008 at 02:01:11

Kolkata, April 18 Three months after the outbreak of bird flu, the state government has decided to form a committee to ascertain the source of its origination in West Bengal. The state Animal and Fisheries Research Institute director Mrinal Kanti Bhowmik will head the committee.

The spread of the virus was first confirmed by the high-security Animal Diseases Laboratory on January 14, five days after blood samples were collected from villages in Margram in Birbhum district. Later, the avian influenza spread throughout the state. Initially, the government concluded that the migratory birds from Bangladesh had carried the virus.

Apparently refuting the earlier conclusion, Animal Resources Development minister Anisur Rahaman told reporters at Writers’ Buildings today that he is not sure about the reasons for the large-scale spread of bird flu. The committee will examine how the H5N1 virus managed to infect backyard poultry in the state, he said.

The villagers in 14 districts of the state had faced severe losses owing to culling operations conducted by the ARD. Around 40 lakh backyard chicken were culled and government had issued an order banning poultry production in at least 45 blocks in 13 districts.

“This (the virus and the government’s handling of the situation) might hit the popular vote bank of the ruling party, so the committee has been asked to submit a detailed report about the losses,” said a senior official of the department.

The minister said that the government has already paid compensation to the villagers who lost their chickens during the culling operations.

Asked, why the government is yet to chalk out a detailed plan to help the villagers resume their business, an official said, “The committee has also been asked to look into this aspect.”

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H5N1 and Drinking Water by Dipl.-Ing. Wilfried Soddemann on 20 Apr 2008

Spread of avian flu by drinking water: Spread of avian flu by drinking water can explain small clusters in householdsProved awareness to ecology and transmission is necessary to understand the spread of avian flu. For this it is insufficient exclusive to test samples from wild birds, poultry and humans for avian flu viruses. Samples from the known abiotic vehicles also have to be analysed. There are plain links between the cold, rainy seasons as well as floods and the spread of avian flu. That is just why abiotic vehicles have to be analysed. The direct biotic transmission from birds, poultry or humans to humans can not depend on the cold, rainy seasons or floods. Water is a very efficient abiotic vehicle for the spread of viruses - in particular of fecal as well as by mouth, nose and eyes excreted viruses. Infected birds and poultry can everywhere contaminate the drinking water. All humans have very intensive contact to drinking water. soddemann-aachen@t-online.de

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