Now poultry deaths in Malda

Express news service Posted: Mar 13, 2008 at 0152 hrs
Kolkata, March 12 Fresh reports of unnatural death of backyard poultry today came from Chanchol in Malda even as the state administration culled 16,000 birds in the neighbouring Murshidabad district.

After the state government announced on March 8 that the bird flu has been brought under controlled, it received fresh reports of the presence of the H5N1 virus in two areas in Murshidabad district.

“In Raghunathganj and Jiaganj areas where fresh samples tested positive 16,000 birds have been culled. We will finish culling in two days. We have received report of unnatural death in Malda. The samples have been sent for testing. But there is no need to panic,” said state Animal Resource Development Minister Anisur Rahman.

The culling is currently being undertaken at Nayamukundpur in Raghunathgunj Block II and in Dohapara village of the Jiagunj block.