January 28, 2008

 

Desperation grips India's West Bengal as bird flu nears congested city
 

 

The Indian state of West Bengal, battling the country's worst outbreak of deadly bird flu, appealed on Saturday (January 28, 2008) to the federal government to send "all possible help to defeat" the virus after outbreaks were reported near Kolkata, a city of 13.2 million people.

 

The call by state animal resources minister Anisur Rahaman came as authorities struggled to stop the disease spreading beyond the 12 out of 19 state districts already affected.

 

"We have to control the disease immediately as the deadly H5N1 virus has been spreading fast," Rahaman said.

 

"I'm urging the federal government to send all possible help to defeat the virus before it affects the humans," he told AFP.

 

New Delhi has already sent some medical teams and other assistance to the state.

 

However, three days of heavy rains have held up efforts to slaughter poultry, turning some rural dirt roads into muddy rivers and making it impossible for health teams to reach chicken farms in the poverty-ridden state.

 

Rahaman said he was deeply concerned by reports some villagers in rural areas were eating slaughtered chickens.

 

Panic about bird flu has gripped Kolkata after news spread that the disease had reached the outskirts of the city Friday.

 

Howra, one of the new districts reporting the disease, neighbors Kolkata. The other district was Purulia on the border with the eastern state of Bihar.

 

"We're afraid bird flu may spread to many areas - it has already spread to two more districts," said state animal resources minister Anisur Rahaman in Kolkata, which has 13.2 million people, many of whom live in congested slums.

 

Few shops were selling poultry Saturday in the city and some poultry sellers reported zero business.

 

The government has raised the number of chickens to be slaughtered to 2.5 million from 2.2 million, Rahaman said, adding 1.3 million had been killed so far.

 

However, villagers have complained culling teams were leaving the carcasses on roadsides to rot.

 

The disease has spread to more than half of West Bengal state since the deadly H5N1 strain was first confirmed in dead chickens more than a week ago.

 

"The government has banned the smuggling of chicken to city markets from affected areas," Rahaman said. "All we can do is keep a watch on the markets."

 

Officials at entry points to Kolkata were disinfecting cars and other vehicles entering the city.

 

The outbreak was first reported in the village of Margram, 150 miles from Kolkata.