Friday, March 17 2006 15:54 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Jalgaon (Maharashtra): To prevent the spread of Bird Flu virus outside the four declared infected zones (blocks) in Jalgaon district, the administration has quarantined an area of radius three kilometres around each of these zones.

"The effort is to restrict transit of infected material to and fro these areas for preventing the spread of virus outside. For this we have quarantined three kilometre area around each of the infected villages," District Collector Vijay Singhal told reporters here today(Mar 17,2006).

All bus stands have been shifted outside the three kilometre radius. There are total 21 bus stands in these zones. Weekly markets have been shut down temporarily in 19 villages till further orders, he said.

From today disinfectants would be sprayed in homes where poultry had been kept. Health workers have been deployed in the villages to track any symptoms of bird flu.

"People are also being discouraged from inviting guests or going outside the infected zone to prevent transmitting the disease," Singhal said.