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Bird Flu In West Bengal

 

 

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After battling the H5N1 virus in Tripura during the Spring, India declared itself free of bird flu this past July. But, as we’ve seen before in India, Vietnam, Cambodia, and many other countries .  .  .  such declarations are often short lived.

 

In early August India notified the OIE of a fresh outbreak of H5N1 among poultry in Assam (see Immediate notification ) and yesterday provided a follow up report indicating another outbreak in West Bengal (see Follow-up report No. 1).

 

This morning, the Indian newspapers are full of stories about this latest outbreak, which reportedly began in Nadia, West Bengal on September 14th. 

 

Culling of all poultry within 3km of the reported outbreak been ordered as well as increased surveillance and restrictions on the sale and transport of poultry within 10 Km. 

 

Typical of the reporting this morning is this story from the Economic Times:

 

20 Sep, 2011, 02.50PM IST, PTI

Bird flu, Avian influenza, detected in poultry samples in Nadia, West Bengal

 


India has been battling sporadic outbreaks of the H5N1 virus in poultry since 2008, although no human cases have been documented. 

 

Concerns run high since India is one of six countries where the virus is believed well entrenched (along with Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Indonesia and Vietnam).

 

Today The Hindu carries a long, cautionary editorial on the threat of bird flu.

 

This threat is not just for the birds

N. Gopal Raj

 

Earlier this month the FAO made headlines when it warned of a `mutated’ strain of bird flu spreading in China and Vietnam (see FAO Warns On Bird Flu). 

 

This new clade 2.3.2.1 has been around for at least a year, and is a variant of the 2.3.2 clade which has been circulating for several years.  

 

In response the World Health Organization (see WHO Statement On New Bird Flu Clade) stated that based on the available evidence `this evolution of the H5N1 virus poses no increased risk to public health.

 

But it is further evidence that the virus continues to mutate and evolve.

 

For now H5N1 is primarily a threat to poultry.

 

The virus remains poorly adapted to human physiology, and despite ample opportunities in places like Egypt and Indonesia, only causes rare, sporadic infections.

 

The concern, of course, is that over time that may change.  And so the world remains at Pre-pandemic Phase III for the H5N1 virus, and we continue to watch for signs that the virus is adapting to humans.

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