Authorities in Assam India have ordered culling thousands of chicken & ducks (BIRD FLU)

[seemslikeadream]

Photo from Reuters Pictures
11 hours ago: Health workers carry culled poultry for disposal at Hajo village, about 40 km (25 miles) west from Guwahati, the major city of India's northeastern state of Assam November 28, 2008. Authorities in Assam have ordered culling thousands of chicken and ducks after a fresh outbreak of bird flu in poultry was detected late on Thursday, a senior official said.




‘About 30,000 poultry to be culled in Assam’

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/about-30000-poultry-to-be-culled-in-assam_100124847.html

Guwahati, Nov 28 (IANS) About 30,000 chickens and ducks will be culled in Assam during the next four days as an outbreak of bird flu in poultry has been reported in the state, an official said.”The entire culling process is expected to be completed in three to four days as our teams are visiting each and every household in the area. We estimate there could be some 30,000 poultry birds in the area where culling is currently underway,” said Manoranjan Choudhury, deputy director of the Assam veterinary department.

The Indian health ministry Thursday confirmed outbreak of bird flu after laboratory tests confirmed strains of the deadly H5N1 avian influenza. Sale and purchase of poultry has been banned in the state.

Choudhury said about 30,000 chickens and ducks would be slaughtered in about 40 villages of Thakurichuba village, about 40 km west of Guwahati. The veterinary personnel involved in the culling process were being administered the antiviral drug Tamiflu as a precautionary measure.

“The process of culling has already started involving about 20 Rapid Response Teams with seven members in each group led by a veterinarian,” he said.

[kestrel91316]

1. Somewhere in my veterinary journals I read in the last few weeks that

an effective vaccine against bird flu that can be given to humans AND cats (who can also get it) is in the pipeline.

[Mojorabbit]

2. There were a few weeks ago

17 people from the same neighborhood in the hospital in Indonesia with suspected avian flu. the chickens in the neighborhood had been dieing and tested positive. Some suspects also tested positive with the pcr test and with a field test but the govt lab came up negative. Some are still in the hospital being treated and now the WHO has moved in and whenever that happens they clamp down on the news so I don't know what is happening right now.