Limited H5N1 Testing in West Bengal Raises Pandemic Concerns
Recombinomics Commentary 13:38
January 22, 2008
As per latest information received, a total mortality of 1,13,796 poultry birds has been reported from Birbhum, Dakshin Dinajpur, Murshidabad, Nadia, South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, Burdwan & Bankura districts of West Bengal.
The HSADL, Bhopal has confirmed a positive result for Avian Influenza (H5) in respect of samples from Krishnanagar-I and Haringhata blocks of Nadia district, Ktugram, Jamuria and Galsi blocks of Burdwan district and Nalhati-I and Bolpur-Sriniketan blocks of Birbhum district of West Bengal on the basis of rapid tests.
A number of samples from Howrah, South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, Hooghly, Kolkata, West Midnapur tested at the HSADL, Bhopal turned a negative result.
The above “official” numbers once again demonstrates the lack of testing in “negative” districts (see satellite map). The mortality numbers increased 5,915 over the prior report, but the number of samples received is withheld. Yesterday’s report showed that only 22 samples were received, even though almost 10,000 birds died.
Some media reports have indicated North 24 Parganas was the eighth West Bengal district to test positive for H5N1, but the comments above again indicates that both North 24 and South 24 are negative, although both districts have reported large increases in dead poultry.
The continued reporting of negative data on a minimal number of samples from districts with increasing numbers of dead poultry raises pandemic concerns. These concerns regarding testing of poultry also applies to human samples, which have never produced a confirmed positive.
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