Assam to cull 80,000 poultry along Bengal border

The union health ministry Friday raised an alarm in Assam by asking authorities to cull an estimated 80,000 poultry in villages bordering the bird-flu hit state of West Bengal, officials said.

"We have been asked by the central health ministry to undertake precautionary culling of birds in villages falling within five kilometres of Assam's border with West Bengal," a state veterinary official told IANS.

There are an estimated 100 villages within the five-kilometre radius in Assam's Dhubri and Kokrajhar districts.

"There could be an estimated 80,000 poultry in the area where we have been advised to carry out culling," the official said.

The Assam government has already alerted rapid response teams in the two districts and the culling of birds is expected to begin Saturday.

"There are lots of formalities to be done and by Friday evening or early Saturday we are expecting some equipment from New Delhi for the culling process," the official said.

"There is no need for panic and the culling is being done just as a precautionary measure," he added.

Bird flu has spread to 13 of West Bengal's 19 districts since the outbreak was confirmed Jan 15.