Deadline for poultry cull extended as bird flu spreads

Kolkata: Authorities have extended the deadline for a massive poultry cull after a fresh outbreak of bird flu was reported in a village in West Bengal, a minister said on Sunday.

The virus has been detected in 13 of the eastern state's 19 districts since the outbreak began in mid-January.

Nearly three million poultry had been due to be slaughtered by late Saturday, but authorities said that after the fresh outbreak the exercise was now expected to be completed by today.

"It's not alarming. It will be possible to contain the spread of the disease by Monday," West Bengal animal resources development minister Anisur Rahaman said here.

"Culling teams are working on a war footing to meet the deadline," the minister said.

Meanwhile, Assam has began culling an estimated 85,000 poultry following a directive by the central health ministry, officials yesterday said.

"The process of culling has already started involving about 40 Rapid Response Teams with five members in each group led by a veterinarian" Parthajyoti Gogoi, regional director (northeast) of the central health ministry based in Guwahati, said.