Bird Flu Outbreak in Tripura

After a gap of 2-years the dreaded bird flu or avian influenza (H1N1) has reappeared in Tripura. Specialists of the animal resource department fear rapid escalation of the disease. With this outbreak India has lost the bird flu-free status it had acquired in June 2, 2010. Today they have culled 2,500 ducks in the government-run poultry farm located at RK Nagar, 8km east of Agartala as the ducks there died intermittently after suffering from high fever. Tomorrow doctors will cull ducks and chicken within a radius of 3km from the poultry farm and are suspected to carry this deadly virus. The State will also impose a ban on transportation of poultry and poultry products. It has ordered closure of poultry markets within 10km radius.

 The animal resource department has informed the Union animal resource ministry about the bird flu outbreak. Deputy Secretary in the ministry, Dr. Dipankar Roy, has arrived in Agartala to supervise the process of culling on the farm. He also suggested measures for statewide culling in Agartala. The virus is suspected to have entered Tripura from neighboring areas in Bangladesh. He said, “This happened in 2008 when we had to cull more than 55,000 chicken and ducks all over the state. That time the virus had entered from Bangladesh, but this time, we cannot say that with certainty.”  The government will now inform the international authorities about this recent development.

Source-Medindia