H5N1 Suspected in Northern Calcutta Suburb
Recombinomics Commentary 07:44
January 20, 2008
The bird flu panic reached Calcutta’s outskirts today when 15 hens died in Nilgunge at Barrackpore, North 24-Parganas. Samples have been sent for tests. Bolpur and Burdwan towns, too, reported their first chicken deaths.
Samples from South 24-Parganas, Cooch Behar, Purulia and Hooghly have tested negative so far.
The above comments describe additional poultry deaths, including Barrackpore, a northern suburb of Calcutta (see satellite map). The dead poultry southwest of Calcutta has tested negative, but those tests are almost certainly rapid tests, which have a low sensitivity. Poultry in Nadia initially tested negative on the rapid test, but subsequently tested positive on more sensitive tests.
Detected H5N1 continues to spread to the south as two additional districts tested positive, as did additional blocks in southern regions of districts that had previously tested positive. The dead wild birds, including crows, pigeons, hawks, and owls raise the possibility that these resident birds are enhancing the H5N1 spread. Similarly, long range migratory birds are likely asymptomatic carriers of H5N1.
Additionally, more sensitive testing in the regions surrounding Calcutta, as well as resident and long range migratory birds would be useful.
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