Govt takes steps to contain bird flu in Assam and West Bengal

Culling activities have been launched in avian inflenza affected districts of Assam and West Bengal with Centre helping the state governments to contain the spread of the disease and providing other necessary items to meet any contingency.

Culling process has been completed in Hajo and Rani/ Azara blocks of Kamrup district in Assam, while in other districts, it still continued. A total of 11,234 birds were culled yesterday taking the total number of birds culled to cumulative 3,80,169 in the state.

A total of 564 animal health workers were deployed for the culling activity, with help of Chemoprophylaxis. The central government has deployed RRTs in all epicenters who are working with state RRT teams. Active house-to-house surveillance is being followed in zero-three km zone where a population of 1,94,876 was covered in all epicenters and in three-10 km where 2,26,975 was covered, in phases. As many as 130 cases of Upper Respiratory Infection [URI] with fever were detected, including 78 in zero-three km and 52 in three-10 km areas, but none of them had history of handling dead or sick birds. About 104 cases of URI with fever in the outpatient were identified in various health facilities. As many as 1,357 health workers were deployed for the surveillance. In West Bengal, containment measures have been instituted and microplan has been developed after the notification of avian influenza in Englishbazar block of Malda district. The active surveillance in zero-three km has started to cover a total population of 33,065. Ninety four health workers have been deployed for active surveillance. Isolation ward in Malda district hospital has been identified. The West Bengal government has been provided with ventilators, PPE and Oseltamivir during the last outbreak, the stock of which is available with them. Additional 5000 capsules of Tamiflu has been kept at Regional Director office of MOHFW, Kolkata. With the beginning of the culling activity, 127 animal health workers are practising Chemoprophylaxis. In Assam, the Centre had notified avian influenza in Block Gobardhana, Barpeta District and Block West Nalbari, Nalbari District on December four, in Rani and Rampur block of Kamrup district on December one and Hajo block of Kamrup district in November 27. Outbreaks have also been notified on December 10 in Sidli Chirang block of Chirang district and Bezera, Guwahati Municipality of Kamrup district and Dibrugarh Municipality of Dibrugarh district. Further outbreaks have been notified on December 16 Bojali block in Barpeta district, Boitamari block in Bongaigaon district and Guwahati Block/Municipality Kamrup (Metro) district. The Central RRTs already stationed in these districts would cover the containment operations.

-- (UNI) -- 19DI28.xml

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