Bihar Sounds Alert After Bird Flu Outbreak in West Bengal

A high alert has been sounded in Bihar in the wake of outbreak of bird flu in West Bengal.

The State's Animal Husbandry department is maintaining a strict vigil and is carefully working to check the presence of the deadly H5N1 avian influenza virus among the chicken in the state after reports of outbreak of bird flu in Malda district.

Avian Influenza / Bird Flu-Causes-Symptoms-Treatment- FAQs
Bird flu (avian influenza/avian flu) is a disease caused by an influenza virus (H5N1) that primarily affects birds but can infect humans also.

Blood samples are being taken from the chicken for testing at Bhopal's high security Animal Diseases Laboratory (HSADL) to find out that whether any of the birds is infected with H5N1 virus.

"We are taking blood samples from hens. The serum extracted from them will be tested to check the presence of virus so as to prevent the spread of bird flu in our state," said Manoj Kumar, Junior Scientist, Animal Husbandry Department, Patna.

Around 16, 000 chicken and ducks were culled by veterinary workers in Malda district on Tuesday in an effort to contain the latest outbreak of the H5N1 bird flu virus in the region.

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Since Bihar and West Bengal share borders, authorities in Bihar are all the more watchful regarding any spread of the disease in the state.

Experts have advised that the border between the two states should be sealed to prevent possible inflow of infection from West Bengal.

West Bengal Hit by Bird Flu
The high risk disease detection laboratory of Bhopal has reported an outbreak of bird flu at English Bazar in Malda district of West Bengal.

"It is very necessary to seal the border if the disease has come near Bihar border. Last time also, the border was sealed and so this time also it should be done," said S.R. Singh, Principal, Veterinary College, Patna.

There have been no confirmed human cases of H5N1 in India since the first outbreak was reported in Maharashtra in 2006.

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Source-ANI
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