The Hindu Business Line : 9 lakh chickens to be killed in Maharashtra

AS panic coursed through the poultry farms in the backward district of Nandurbar in North Maharashtra over what is threatening to become a bird flu epidemic, the State Government swung into action to stem the spread of the disease to neighbouring districts.

Even while the poultry industry clung on to its claim that it was not a case of bird flu attack but an incidence of Newcastle (or Ranikhet) disease, the Chief Minister, Mr Vilasrao Deshmukh, on Sunday sought to close the debate, stating that the State Government was going by the report of the Government-run National Institute of Virology in Bhopal.

The institute, which examined samples of the dead birds, has confirmed that it is an attack of bird flu - H5NI avian influenza - the Chief Minister told newspersons.

On the poultry industry's insistence that it was not a bird flu attack, Mr Deshmukh said: "This is a technical issue and I do not like to enter into a debate on this with them (the industry). We are going by the reports of the Bhopal institute."

As the first step to confine the spread of the disease within three km radius of the affected district, the Government has ordered the killing of all the estimated nine lakh chickens in this area in the next 24 hours.

Also, all the 49 poultry farms in the area have been asked to shut down till the situation is brought under control.

In fact, even before the State Government ordered the killing, poultry farmers have already begun to eliminate the birds that manifested symptoms of the influenza. "The killing operation has started. First we thought of destroying the birds through carbon dioxide fuming, but this threw up some operational problems.

"Now we are first making the birds unconscious by giving them poisoned water and then they will be killed by strangulation or choking. The dead birds will then be buried about seven feet below the ground," a senior State Government official told Business Line.

Although no human casualty has been reported from the State, two people - a 35 year-old woman and a four-year old boy - with fever and other complaints from the affected area have been shifted to an isolated ward.

Their blood samples have been sent to Pune for investigation and its report, which is expected within two days, would confirm whether the symptoms are an upshot of the avian influenza.

Other poultry farms within an extended radius of 10 km in the district have been put under tight surveillance - this area is reported to have a population of over two lakh birds.

More than 300 paramedical officials, including veterinary doctors and health authorities, have fanned out within this extended radius to ensure that the disease does not spill over beyond this region.

Reports indicate that so far, over 50,000 chickens have fallen victims to the disease, as more and more birds fall ill. Supplies of Tamiflu have been rushed to the affected areas to combat the mortality of the birds.

About 7,000 capsules of the drug, supplied by Roche, have been rushed to the affected region and stockpiled in case of the disease affects humans.

CM allays fears

Allaying fears of further spread of the disease, the Chief Minister said the disease has been confined within three km radius in the affected district and the situation was under control.

"We are having adequate stocks of Tamiflu to handle the situation. We have also opened a control room in Mantralaya to tackle the viral attack."

Compensation for farmers

Meanwhile, the State Government has announced that poultry farmers will get compensation of Rs 40 for every big bird, Rs 30 for every broiler, and Rs 10 for every chicken killed.

The Centre, which has assured all support to the State Government to combat the bird flu attack, will contribute half of the compensation package, with the State Government providing the rest.

Mr Deshmukh has also urged people in the State to avoid eating half-boiled or half-fried eggs for the time being.

However, he made it clear that if an affected chicken is cooked well there is no threat of humans contracting the disease.

Even in the case of eggs, fully boiled eggs could be consumed without fear, he added.

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