As per latest information received, a total mortality of 98,254 poultry birds has been reported from Birbhum, Dakshin Dinajpur, Murshidabad, Nadia, South 24 parganas, Burdwan and Bankura districts of West Bengal.
As per the report of HSADL, Bhopal, the sample from district Bankura has also tested positive. Further, more samples from Nadia, Birbhum and Murshidabad districts have also tested positive.
On 19.01.2008, a total of 60 Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) carried out operations (58 teams for culling and 2 for surveillance) in Birbhum district. 33 teams in Dakshin Dinajpur district and 16 RRTs in Murshidabad were deployed for culling operations.
A total of 79 samples have been sent to the HSADL, Bhopal from Howrah, South 24 Parganas, Hooghly, Kolkata, Burdwan, Bankura, Nadia, Malda, Pashim Midnapore and Birbhum districts on 19.01.2008.
One joint team of this Department and Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has already proceeded to Jharkhand and Bihar to monitor the situation on the ground. Teams for on-the-spot assessment of the situation in Orissa and the North Eastern States have also been constituted and are expected to move shortly to respective areas.
Close monitoring of the situation is being done and necessary measures are being taken by the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries.
Source: Press Information Bureau, India