February 21, 2011

India confirms avian flu outbreak

The Indian government confirmed a bird flu outbreak on Friday (Feb 18) in the northeastern state of Tripura.

The government said the flu was reported from a state-run duck farm in Agartala, the capital city of Tripura, and that it has ordered culling the entire poultry population within a radius of 3 kilometres of the site where the disease has been confirmed to prevent its spreading.

It has also decided to immediately start destroying eggs and feed material, the government said in a statement.

The disease is caused by a form of influenza virus that usually infects birds. Past flu outbreaks at times have been pandemic, and a particular strain of the flu - H5N1 - had affected human beings in Asia earlier.

India first reported outbreak of the avian flu in 2006, followed by another outbreak in 2008. Several thousand birds had been culled during at the time.

The federal government has asked the state administration to ban movement of poultry and its products, prevent movement of farm personnel and restrict access to the infected sites.

An industry official, meanwhile, said there wasn't any cause for concern as the disease has been reported only in ducks and not chickens, which are more widely consumed.

"There are no reports of flu outbreak among chicken," said Ricky Thapar, treasurer of the Poultry Federation of India.

Thapar said there will be no significant economic impact due to culling of birds as Tripura imports poultry from other states to meet local demand, and doesn't supply it outside the state.

The federal government has offered to equally share the cost with the state government on payment of compensation for the loss of poultry due to culling of birds and destruction of eggs.