Wednesday, March 15 2006 09:53 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Bird flu that struck India about a month ago in Navapur in Nandoorbag has now been detected in neighbouring Jalgaon district in Maharashtra with the Government considering culling of 75,000 birds in four affected villages to prevent its spread.

Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar broke this news in Parliament where he said "Some cases of bird flu have been detected in four villages of Jalgaon district in Maharashtra". This was followed by details given by the Health Ministry and Animal Husbandry Department at a joint briefing.

"There is no need to panic and no human case has been reported from the country so far," Joint Secretary Health Ministry Vineet Chaudhary told reporters here.

He said Rapid Response Teams comprising experts have been despatched to the affected areas.

Joint Secretary in the Animal Husbandry Department Upma Chawdhary said culling operations would commence from tomorrow and that the Maharashtra Chief Secretary would visit the affected areas to take stock of the situation.

Meanwhile, Pawar said reports had been received that some birds had died in the four villages - Hated, Sawada, Salve and Marul in Jalgaon district.

Four of the 22 samples from these areas sent to Bhopal on February 25 for testing were found positive, said Animal Husbandary Commissioner S.K. Bandopadhyaya.

Replying to a query whether the Jalgaon incident is related to Navapur, Animal Husbandry Secretary P M A Hakeem said the infection might have happened at the same time when the bird flu cases were reported from Navapur.

Since more poultry deaths were reported from Navapur which mostly had commercial poultry, all attention was diverted to that place. It is quite possible that infection could have occurred at the same time when it was reported from Navapur, Hakeem said adding, "We also do not rule out that the infection might have come from Navapur."

The control and containment operations in the affected areas of Jalagaon will be undertaken in the 10-km radius of the four villages, Chawdhary said.

"Poultry in the 10-km zone will be destroyed by RRT of veterinarians of Maharashtra Government," she said.

The poultry in the 10-km radius is mostly backyard, said animal husbandry officials and addded there is only one commercial farm located in Raver Taluka with an estimated poultry of about 3,000 birds only.

Surveillance on the human side would be simultaneously initiated, said health ministry officials and categorically stated that "There is no case of avian influenza in humans".

They also maintained that "well cooked" chicken is still safe for human consumption. When asked about the source of bird flu in India, the animal husbandry commissioner said, "We are looking at all possible options of migratory birds, contaminated feed and illegally imported vaccines".

"But the committee constituted to find the origin of bird flu in India is yet to submit its report," he said.