Bird Flu

·         On  February 1, 2008 Central Zoo Authority (CZA) alerted over 60 major zoos across India to take preventive measures in the wake of bird flu outbreak in several parts of West Bengal.

·         On January 29, 2008 a 32-year-old Indonesian man from Tangerang west of Jakarta who had tested positive for bird flu died taking Indonesian toll from the H5N1 bird flu virus to 101.

On January 29, 2008 Bird flu in West Bengal spread to fresh areas in affected districts of Howrah, Birbhum and Nadia, while a large number of chickens died in North 24 Parganas which is still not among the 13 affected districts.

On January 28, 2008 with two Indonesians from the outskirts of Jakarta succumbing to H5N1 strain, human death toll from bird flu in Indonesia rose to 100 - almost half of the total worldwide fatalities.

·         Indonesia is the nation worst affected by bird flu and has struggled to contain the virus.

·         Since the H5N1 virus emerged in South East Asia in late 2003, it has claimed more than 220 lives around the world.

·         Indonesia is one of the only countries to log human deaths year-round.

On January 23, 2008 with Cooch Behar and Hoogly being added to the list of seven affected by the avian flu outbreak in West Bengal, the tally got close to half the total number of districts (19 including Kolkata) in the State.

·         The outbreak also spread further north with samples of dead poultry birds from Cooch Behar being declared positive after tests were conducted in the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory in Bhopal.

·         The districts affected by the disease earlier are: Murshidabad, South Dinajpur, Murshidabad, Bankura, Burdwan, Nadia and Malda. Fresh areas in Nadia and Murshidabad districts have been hit.

·         So far 34 blocks in the nine districts have been affected besides four municipality areas.

·         On January 21, 2008 Bird flu spread in the colliery towns at Asansol, Raniganj and Kulti in Burdwan district in south Bengal, where there were reports of large killing of several birds, chickens and ducks at some cooperative poultry farms.

·         The adjoining Bankura and Purulia districts were also affected by the odd disease.

·         On January 15, 2008 Bhopal-based High Security Animal Diseases Laboratory (HSADL) had confirmed the outbreak setting the stage for the culling of over 3.76 lakh chickens in Birbhum and South Dinajpur district

·         Following reports of unusual mortality of poultry reported from Birbhum and Dakshin Dinajpur districts on January 11, samples were collected and forwarded to HSADL as per specified regime.

·         One sample from each district of Birbhum and South Dinajpur were found positive for H5N1 virus by the laboratory.

·         Meanwhile, the West Bengal government has been requested to take immediate necessary action as per the detailed action plan already intimated in November, 2006.

·         A precautionary measure restricted trade and movement of poultry birds in these districts.

Orissa lake

·         On January 15, 2008 more than 20 migratory birds died in the Chilika Lake, the lone brackish water lagoon in Asia, and their samples have been sent to a laboratory in Bhopal to ascertain if they had the deadly bird flu disease.

·         The samples would be sent to the High Security Animal Husbandry Laboratory in Bhopal to ascertain the reason behind the death of the birds, he said.

·         “In 2007 also we had sent blood samples of some birds. Those tested negative to H5N1 virus”