Bird flu spreads further in West Bengal

Bird flu spread to further areas of West Bengal on Tuesday as the Centre increased the target of number of poultry to be culled to nearly 15 lakh.

Samples from two more blocks of Nadia district, three blocks of Burdwan district and two blocks of Birbhum districts were confirmed to be positive for bird flu.

Briefing the media, Animal Husbandry Commissioner S K Bandopadhyay, however, said the total number of districts where the bird flu virus has spread remains seven, which includes Birbhum, South Dinajpur, Murshidabad, Nadia, Burdwan, Malda and Bankura.

"I think as of today, 12-15 lakh birds need to be culled," he said replying to a query on latest estimates.

The Rapid Response Teams have culled 2.42 lakh poultry till January 21, Bandopadhyay said. Poultry deaths have reached 1,13,796 in the state.

"It is being controlled. It is not under control," he said while replying to a query whether the Bird flu situation is under control.

The commissioner also said a number of samples from Howrah, South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, Hooghly, Kolkata, West Midnapur districts tested at the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory, Bhopal have returned negative.

Bandopadhyay said the compensation situation has improved. "The West Bengal government has informed us that they are providing on-the-spot compensation to the people whose poultry was being culled. There is no proposal for increasing the compensation as of now and if it comes, we will consider it," he said.