No case of avian flu in humans: Maha govt

The Maharashtra government has strongly refuted claims that the avian flu virus has spread to human beings.

Bhushan Gagarani, the state government's spokesperson and director general of information and public relations, said: 'The state government has so far sent 202 samples of human blood to National Institute of Virology (NIV). The report of 94 samples have been received, and none of the report says that any of the samples are positive."

The rest of the reports are awaited, and the state government would be in receipt of the reports in a few days, he added. A section of the press and some television channels had claimed that avionic flue virus has been found in human beings.

Gagarani further said that out of 12 persons who have been quarantined, the reports of four persons have become available and all reports are negative. "That means no one has been affected," he said.

He added that the entire chicken population of Navapur taluka has been culled, and more than 1.5 lakh eggs have also been destroyed.

Meanwhile, the state BJP unit today screened a film shot by their local activists of Nandurbar district showing how chickens were burried in an haphazard manner. They added that despite incidents of dead chicken being throwing on the highway by some unidentified farmers was reported on 7 February, no action was taken by the district administration.

After the screening of the film, Vinod Tavade, general secretary of the state unit of BJP, charged that "the film shows the callous and careless approach of the state government in handling the crisis."

Tawde also alleged that "no disinfectants were spread in Navapur town to protect from the outbreak of the flu, and even the staff carrying out the culling operations were not provided with protective gears."