Sealing West Bengal
Recombinomics Commentary 01:18
January 25, 2008
The number of bird flu-affected districts in the state today remained stationary at nine, but the Centre has ordered Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand and Orissa to impose a complete blockade on the entry of poultry from Bengal.
The above comments indicate West Bengal has now been sealed (see satellite map). Previously, its border with Bengladesh had been sealed and Calcutta was being sealed from West Bengal. Now all West Bengal borders have been sealed.
Although the number of “affected” districts remained stationary, it was stationary because no test results were released. Birds continue to die in new areas, and culling in areas around prior confirmed cases have increased, so now there is some culling in almost all West Bengal districts.
Moreover, the number of ill cullers and dead goats continue to rise in Birbham, as do hospitalized patients
In addition to poultry deaths, reports of dead wild birds, including migrating birds continue to increase, as more wild bird migrate into the area.
Therefore the border sealing may not limit the spread of H5N1 into adjacent areas, which may have already happened.
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