African Swine Fever detected in the North West
Zeerust in the North West has reportedly been hit by an African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak. It was reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) on Wednesday, according to the Department
Avian Flu
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Migratory birds not behind avian influenza: WWF
Rejecting official claims that migratory birds are responsible for the spread of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza (AI), the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has warned of serious repercussions against wild bird populations and their habitats if people at the helm of affairs continued to issue statements that have no scientific grounds. In a statement, the WWF said: "Though there is some evidence to back the case that migratory wild birds can spread the H5N1 virus, they are not the main source of the virus, nor are they solely responsible for the spread of H5N1. No fully documented healthy migratory wild birds have tested positive for H5N1. In fact, it seems that with the degradation and destruction of lakes and wetlands, migratory birds are forced to feed and live in areas populated by domestic poultry (and humans), putting the wild birds at risk of infection.' Highlighting some scientific facts, the WWF said none of the samples collected by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) from between 300,000 to 350,000 wild birds across the world were found positive for H5N1. Likewise, a sampling of 5,000 water-birds after an outbreak in Nigeria during 2006 found no traces of the virus. After a comprehensive critical review of recent scientific literature, it has been concluded that the poultry trade
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Counting chickens
the official response to the avian flu outbreak in West Bengal, now threatening to assume epidemic proportions, is a story of hubris underlined by pathetic bungling on the ground. Not long ago
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Bengal bird flu outbreak authorities unprepared
Bengal bird flu outbreak shows up state, central health system on january 15, the union government confirmed a bird flu outbreak in West Bengal. The worst India has ever seen, the outbreak caught
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Peafowl deaths in Punjab linked to pesticides
eleven peafowl found dead in Punjab were killed by food contaminated with pesticides. Nine peahens and two peacocks died in Ladhowal forest area near Ludhiana on December 26. The state forest
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FAO team pleased with Nadia Flu control
KRISHNAGAR, Feb 13: A team of invigilators consisting of two members from Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) visited the Krishnagar-I block today, to review the preventive measures taken by the district administration in view of the resent outbreak of Avian Influenza. Dr Mahendra Singh Oberoy, from Kathmandu, Nepal and Dr Subhash Morzaria from Bangkok, Thailand are the two members of FAO, the UN body that concentrates on trans-boundary animal diseases. The current focus of the organisation is on Avian Influenza.
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Do the winged visitors harbour bird flu virus? (editorial)
N. Gopal Raj Concern over the possibility that wild birds might transport the bird flu virus known as H5N1 has led to greater interest in studying bird migration. A flock of flamingoes over the Pulicat Lake in Andhra Pradesh. One day in December last year, Niranjan M., a 29-year-old engineer and avid bird-watcher living in Bangalore, drove some 125 km to a lake near Somnathpur in Karnataka. The lake was awash with a couple of hundred migratory birds, mostly bar-headed geese and, in the warm glow of the evening sun, he took over two dozen photographs.
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Wanted: witness for flu compensation
Krishnagar, Feb. 12: Thousands of families in the bird flu-hit blocks of Nadia run the risk of not getting the Rs 500 the government has promised as they had not reported the death of their backyard chickens. Tahamina Bibi had lost 15 chickens a fortnight before the flu was confirmed in Tehatta on January 19. She ate some and threw the rest in a field. The resident of Kanainagar, about 160km from Calcutta, is not sure if she would get the money as it will be difficult for her to prove the deaths.
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1500 chickens starved to death
Had your cereals? Krishnagar, Feb. 12: Two poultry owners starved nearly 1,500 birds to death in Ranaghat, Nadia, because they could not afford to feed and not sell them. The ban on sale and purchase of poultry birds was in force in Nadia from January 20. The district administration today confirmed that the chickens of Swapan Biswas and Ashish Sikdar of Panikhali village, about 70km from Calcutta, had died not of avian influenza but starvation.
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UN experts review flu situation
KOLKATA, Feb. 11: Experts from Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) today visited bird flu-affected areas of the state ahead of the review meeting to be held by the state government to discuss lifting the ban on chicken trading and transportation.
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Bird flu (Editorial)
Massive outbreak of bird flu in the neighbouring state of West Bengal has sent alarm bells ringing in Assam. As epidemics know no geographical barriers, adequate precautionary steps are the only way to combat it. To keep the dreaded bird flu at bay, the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department of the State has undertaken a slew of measures. The steps include ban on import of poultry products and free poultry zone in the two border districts of Dhubri and Kokrajhar. The move to create a free-poultry zone has resulted in mass bird culling operation in the two border districts.