FAO Visits Malda West Bengal
Recombinomics Commentary 21:28
February 11, 2008
"An experts' team from the United Nations' regional office of Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Bangkok will visit Bird Flu affected areas in West Bengal including areas of Chanchal sub-division in Malda district", administrative officials said today.
The above comments describe a FAO visit to West Bengal. The Malda district had confirmed H5N1 which was close to the Bihar border (see satellite maps here here here). Although Bihar was scheduled to conduct precautionary culling, it is not clear that they did. There were excessive poultry deaths, but test results were delayed. In addition, suspect H5N1 patients in Malda were transfered to Calcutta for moniroing.
Much of the testing remains suspect in India. They have yet to confirm H5N1 in wild birds and the cause of deaths of goats in multiple districts was never resolved. It remains unclear if throat swabs have ever been collected from domestic or wild birds, or mammals such as patients or goats.
The situation in India remains confused at best. The visit by FAO may lead to more extensive and sensitive testing.
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