The Hindu Business Line : Culling continues in Navapur

IN the Navapur taluka of Nandurbar district in Maharashtra, where it all began, more than seven lakh chicken have been culled since Saturday and the remaining 1.5 lakh would be culled by Tuesday, said a Maharashtra Government official while briefing the media at the Secretariat on Monday.

The area also has small backyard poultries with about 18,000 chicken, which also would be culled by Tuesday, Mr Uttam Khobragade, Secretary, Animal Husbandry, Maharashtra Government, said.

Mr Khobragade also categorically stated that the State Government had not sent serum samples for confirmation of the virus to any foreign laboratory.

"Our surveillance mechanism is activated in full force. Poultry entering into Mumbai city from surrounding areas is also being surveyed right at the farm itself," Mr Khobragade said.

The culling process in being carried out by using poison and suffocation. About 300 birds are being buried in one pit.

Mr Vijay Satbir Singh, Secretary, Public Health, said that since Saturday eight people including three children have placed in isolation ward in the Navapur Hospital. Their throat swabs and blood samples have been taken and sent to the National Institute of Virology, Pune, for investigation. The results would be available in two days, Mr Singh said.

The isolation ward in Navapur Hospital can handle 20 patients and the ICU four more. In all, 94 people who had direct contact with the infected poultry are under observation, Mr Singh said.

Tamiflu availability: On the availability of `Tamiflu' and its generic versions, the only effective drug against bird flu, Mr Singh said that the Maharashtra Government has a stock of 9,700 capsules and with the help of Union Government it is trying to source more capsules.

"As the basic ingredient in these drugs is a plant extract, which is only available in China, the drug price is high. Drug company Roche is offering it at Rs 728 per 10 capsules. Cipla is offering at Rs 1,000 per 10 capsules," Mr Singh said.

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