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Kolkata: An outbreak of bird flu in India's most densely populated state could spiral out of control, officials said on Tuesday, as the disease spread to a seventh district.
The deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu was found among poultry in Malda, infecting seven of the 19 districts in the eastern state of West Bengal, according to state officials.
"There is every chance of the virus spiralling out of hand if it's too late," said Sanchita Bakshi, the state health services director.
Nepal meanwhile banned the import of poultry products from neighbour India. In Bangladesh, authorities culled thousands of chickens after the virus spread to Natore district.
At least 24 million people live in West Bengal's seven affected districts. Officials worry the virus could spread to humans and were collecting random blood samples from villagers.
Experts say the H5N1 strain could mutate into a form easily transmitted from person to person, leading to a pandemic.
"We are taking all precautionary measures and checking human samples with symptoms of cough and cold," said A.C. Mishra of the National Institute of Virology in Pune.
"Thankfully, the reports have all been negative so far," he said by telephone.
Same strain
Central government authorities have confirmed H5N1 infections in only two of the seven districts, based on time-consuming tests from India's central animal disease laboratory. But state officials say the other cases are all the same strain.
The World Health Organisation has said it was India's most serious outbreak.
The state health minister, Surjya Kanta Mishra, denied a newspaper report five people in West Bengal had been quarantined with bird flu symptoms.
"We don't have a single concrete suspected human infection case also," he said.
Villagers in West Bengal blamed the state government for not informing them about the hazards of bird flu as dozens admitted roasting dead birds and eating them. The virus is usually passed on through close contact with infected birds and their faeces.
Nearby states, including Chhattisgarh, Meghalaya and Bihar, have banned import of poultry from West Bengal and were checking chickens for bird flu.
Veterinarians and scientists said infected birds could have been smuggled out of the affected districts.
"It is difficult, there is no checkpost, there is no such border," Sushil Kumar Modi, Bihar's deputy chief minister, said in Patna.
In Bangladesh, health workers have continued killing birds as the virus spread to 26 of its 64 districts. The country has struggled to contain the H5N1 outbreak since March.
Nepal said it was worried about the virus's spread.
Kerala outbreak?
Meanwhile, only months after recovering from the impact of chikungunya, Kerala may be tormented by bird flu, according to reports. The fear has become more intense, with reports that there have been deaths of chickens in homes near Nadapuram in north Kerala. "We have alerted all border checkposts to be on guard against any import of poultry," said Baikuntha Parajuli, a top official of the the government's animal health department.
- With inputs from Akhel Mathew, Kerala Correspondent
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