Bird-flu outbreak reported from second Indian state

Dec 16, 2008, 7:49 GMT

   New Delhi - Indian authorities on Tuesday confirmed a new outbreak of avian influenza in the eastern state of West Bengal as the neighbouring region of Assam struggled to contain the deadly virus.

   West Bengal Animal Resources Development Minister Anisur Rehman said the H5N1 bird flu virus, which can be fatal in humans, was detected in samples of dead chickens from the northern district of Malda.

   The samples were sent to a state-run laboratory in central India after about 5,000 birds died in three villages in the district over the past week.

   'The culling within a radius of 3 kilometres from the affected district will start on Wednesday,' Rehman told reporters in the state capital, Kolkata.

   Local authorities have banned sale and consumption of poultry products in and around the affected villages.

   'There is no cause for panic as the authorities have started necessary steps to curb the problem,' Rehman said.

   It is the second outbreak of bird flu in West Bengal and came as nearly 400,000 birds were slaughtered in neighbouring Assam, which has been battling a bird-flu outbreak since December 1.

   India has so far seen four major outbreaks of bird flu but not yet reported any cases of human infections.

   H5N1 mainly affects poultry and wild birds but can infect humans who have close contact with sick fowl.

   Scientists fear that if the virus spreads unchecked, the disease could mutate into a form that could be transmitted between humans, leading to a worldwide pandemic.