February 13, 2008

India's West Bengal lifts poultry ban
 

Authorities in West Bengal has largely lifted a ban on trade, transport and consumption of poultry, imposed a week ago as part of an effort to eradicate a bird flu outbreak.
 

Poultry sales were first banned in 13 of West Bengal's 19 districts where the H5N1 bird flu virus was detected, but restrictions were later extended to the whole state as officials tried to prevent further outbreaks.

Animal resources minister, Anisur Rahaman said that officials considered the outbreak that began last month to be under control, and that restrictions on poultry farming would continue in parts of Birbhum and Murshidabad districts, which first reported the outbreak.

Rahaman added that 3.8 million birds have been culled since the outbreak, which was considered as India's most serious bird flu outbreak by the World Health Organisation.