Bird flu panic spreads to Orissa

With avian flu making a come back in West Bengal, the state of Orissa too has gone on a war footing to prevent the spread of the disease. The state government has formed 420 teams to cull 51 thousands birds in the affected area. Simultaneously, the import of chickens from other states is also banned with the borders being sealed.

The increased activity started when a sample came back positive in West Bengal. According to sources in the Health and Animal Husbandry Department, 'after getting information from West Bengal government about a positive report, more blood samples have collected for the test. The department will take necessary step after receiving the complete report.'

The West Bengal State government confirmed the first incident of bird flu in three years on Tuesday, in the Nadia district. Similarly, an alert has been sounded across Assam following detection of bird flu virus in the Dhubri district.

The Orissa State Government is anxious to prevent the spread of the disease into the state which borders both the aforesaid states. Animal Husbandry Minister Mr. Ramesh Majhi says, 'we will take precautionary measures from Bird Flu by distributing leaflets and creating awareness about the diseases.'