Seven Bengal districts now hit by bird flu

With bird flu outbreak confirmed in seven districts of West Bengal, five samples from people suffering flu-like symptoms and not responding to usual treatment have been sent to the National Institute of Virology of Pune and National Institute of Communicable Diseases in New Delhi.

The samples are from Dinajpur and Murshidabad districts. No case of human infection has been reported yet.

The samples are also being tested at the National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Disease (NICED). The six districts hit are Birbhum, South Dinajpur, Bardhaman, Nadia, Murshidabad and Bankura.

These six accounted for nearly 40 per cent of the state's poultry and egg production, estimated to be worth Rs 1,100 crore, in 2006-07. The sector has grown rapidly in the state since 2000. The estimated sale of table birds in 2006-07 was about 3.3 million kg.

"The samples are being tested as a precautionary measure as symptoms similar to influenza have been found in some inhabitants of the affected areas. However, there is nothing to panic as the disease is rather rare in humans. The state is monitoring the situation and is ready to cope with humans cases also," said Sekhar Chakrabarti, deputy director, division of immunology and vaccine development, NICED.

Meanwhile, the state health department has sought additional stocks of Tamiflu, the main drug for the treatment of bird flu in humans, and ventilators from the Centre.

However, the health department is unprepared in terms of medical supplies. Sanchita Bakshi, director, health services, said the department had dispatched 15 ventilators to the six districts and sought another nine from the Centre. The state has also sought 3 lakh units of Tamiflu as its stocks are at only around 25,000.

She admitted the department was short of supplies but said adequate preparations were being made. "No case of bird flu in humans has been reported so far. We have taken all precautionary measures and asked for additional stocks of medicines, masks and ventilators from the Centre," Bakshi said.