India confirms H5N1 in poultry
18/02/2006 18:40  - (SA)  

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Mumbai - India confirmed its first bird flu infections in poultry on Saturday, after 50 000 birds died in western Maharashtra state.

Indian state husbandry minister Anees Ahmed said tests had confirmed the presence of the H5N1 avian flu virus in some of the dead chickens in Nandurbar district, about 450km north of Mumbai.

Samples sent to a government laboratory in central Bhopal town had confirmed bird flu.

Ahmed said: "We are treating it as an emergency. We are carrying out the operations of culling birds in Nandurbar. We have sent 200 veterinary doctors there."

Maharashtra animal husbandry commissioner Bijay Kumar told Reuters culling operations would start on Sunday and farmers would be "adequately compensated".

Maharashtra, India's richest and most industrialised state, has hundreds of poultry farms.

Kumar said: "We have banned trade in poultry in a 10km radius of Nandurbar with immediate effect.

"We are fully prepared. We have airlifted adequate stocks of vaccinations for the healthy birds and Tamiflu for workers. There are 60 teams working in the area.

"There are 900 000 birds in that area and birds within a three kilometre radius will have to be culled. There is no report of an outbreak in any other areas."

- Reuters

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