Agartala: Timely vaccination of birds and animals, access to standard laboratories and maintaining bio-security are among the measures required to curb the sporadic outbreak of bird flu in India’s northeast, says a team of international and Indian experts touring the region.

Experts of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and India, who are on a five-day visit to Tripura to probe the causes of frequent bird flu outbreaks, have asked the northeastern states to maintain stipulated protocols to stop the contagious disease from resurfacing.

SHILLONG: The World Health Organization (WHO) has sounded alarm bells after two reported outbreaks of the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 in poultry farms in Odisha and one in a state run farm in East Garo Hills in Meghalaya.

The samples from the two states which were sent to the National High Security Animal Disease Laboratory in Bhopal confirmed that fowls from the poultry farms tested positive for the scientific polymerase chain reaction test and virus isolation test.

SHILLONG, Jan 22 – Culling of birds in Williamnagar town of East Garo Hills district and in 35 villages within a 10-km radius of the town has been completed, official sources said today. Culling of birds had started after the Bhopal-based High Security Animal Disease Laboratory (HSADL) confirmed H1N1 virus in blood samples of fowls collected from a government-run poultry farm in the district on January 11.

SHILLONG: Authorities in Meghalaya have completed disinfection operations in a bird flu-hit area of East Garo Hills district, an official said on Sunday.

“We have completed the entire process of disinfection and decontamination in 21 villages within a three-kilometer radius of a government-run farm at Williamnagar,” Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Director D Lyungwa said.

SHILLONG: A week after bird flu was detected at a government-run farm in Meghalaya’s East Garo Hills district, the government today said the situation was under control.

“We have completed disinfection process in the poultry farm of Williamnagar town and the whole situation is completely normalising,” District Deputy Commissioner Pravin Bakshi said.

SHILLONG, Authorities in Meghalaya today culled nearly 5,000 domesticated fowls in a bird flu-hit area of East Garo Hills district, an official said.

The birds were culled and buried with lime and bleaching powder in 19 villages within a three-km radius of a government-run farm at Williamnagar - the epicentre of H5N1 virus, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Director D. Lyngwa told IANS.

SHILLONG: The culling of bird-flu infected fowls within 3 km radius from the Government poultry farm in Williamnagar, East Garo Hills is expected to be completed by Wednesday.

“We will complete the culling operation in the remaining four villages within 3 km radius by Wednesday. We are carrying out this exercise as per the guidelines of the Union Government,” Animal Husbandry and Veterinary department director Dr L Lyngwa said on Tuesday.

Shillong, Jan. 16: The East Garo Hills district administration will continue culling for another week even after more than 2,500 chickens were slaughtered.
More villagers have come forward to report the disease in the control rooms set up in East Garo Hills after an increase in the compensation for the loss of chickens and other poultry products was declared. East Garo Hills deputy commissioner Pravin Bakshi today said culling had been carried out within a 3km radius of Williamnagar, where the first few cases of bird flu were reported.

SHILLONG: Culling and mopping operations will continue for the next five days in Meghalaya to contain the spread of bird-flu in East Garo Hills district, official sources said. "Until last evening, 3026 fowls were subjected to hygienic culling by the district administration, even as specialised teams of Rapid Response Teams and medical officers were activated within three kilometers from the epicentre where the bird-flu was detected" District Deputy Commissioner Pravin Bakshi told PTI.

Outbreak of bird-flu and aftermath

Shillong: Fresh deaths of domesticated fowls have been reported in the State, even as the culling of birds in a three-kilometre radius of the bird-flu epicentre of Williamnagar in Meghalaya’s East Garo Hills entered its third day on Sunday, an official said.