H5N1 Confirmed in Burkana West Bengal
Recombinomics Commentary 13:21
January 20, 2008
As per the report of HSADL, Bhopal, the sample from district Bankura has also tested positive.
'Samples of dead chickens in Bankura district tested positive Sunday,' West Bengal animal resources minister Anisur Rahaman told Agence France-Presse.
The above comments describe confirmation of H5N1 in Bankura (see satellite map). The exact location(s) in Bankura is not given, but this represents the southern most spread for confirmed H5N1 in West Bengal.
The first quote above is from the Press Information Bureau of the Government of India, but raises questions on the aggressiveness of the testing program. The same report describe the receipt of 79 samples at HSADL, Bhopal from Howrah, South 24 Parganas, Hooghly, Kolkata, Burdwan, Bankura, Nadia, Malda, Pashim Midnapore and Birbhum districts on Saturday. The average of less than eight samples per district is low. Other media reports described the shipment of 52 samples from multiple species, including wild birds, which may overlap the 79 samples. Thus, the confirmed positives may be significantly lagging the spread of H5N1in West Bengal.
More aggressive testing of dead domestic and wild birds would be useful.
Media Links
Recombinomics Presentations
Recombinomics Publications
Recombinomics Paper at Nature Precedings