India reports second bird flu outbreak in poultry
The Star, 26 Feb 2006

NEW DELHI: A second outbreak of bird flu in poultry has been detected in western India in the same area as the initial infections confirmed a week ago, a government official said.

“Samples from two farms in Utchal (in Surat district of Gujarat state) have been confirmed for avian influenza”, Upma Chawdhry, joint secretary in the national animal husbandry department said.

“These two farms are already included in the 3km infected area that straddles Maharashtra state and Gujarat”, the official said.

“The poultry have already been culled… and operations completed at these  farms”, she  said,  adding,  “It   is

not a cause for concern”.

The first outbreak was reported a week ago in nearby Navapur town in neighboring Maharashtra state.

Officials killed all farm birds within a 10km radius of Navapur town in western Maharashtra state by Wednesday.

But animal health officials said on Friday they must still find and kill domestic    chickens   in    70    villages before they complete the slaughter of all birds around India’s first outbreak of H5N1.

Indian officials said on Friday all 95 samples collected from people suspected of carrying bird flu following

confirmation of the first outbreak had tested negative. The announcement had eased fears that the infection might have spread to humans in India where many people live in close proximity with poultry.

However, senior health ministry official Vineet Chawdhry said tow more people were taken to hospital on Friday in Navapur --- which was put under quarantine on Thursday --- to be kept under observation. --- AFP.