Tuesday, March 18, 2008

BIRD FLU IN INDIA

Hi! Do you hear about the Bird Flu Infection in Margram, West Bengal, India?

Let me state the disaster occurred on January 2008 in West Bengal.

I am Dr. Suman Dey (deysuman72@rediffmail.com), Veterinary Officer at Block Animal Health Center, Margram, under Rampurhat-II block, Birbhum. I have 1st identified the case of Bird Flu at Margram.
The incidence was identified when a villager came to meet me in my office on 8th January’08 morning and told me most of his household non-descriptive type poultry birds are suffering from illness predominantly showing whitish- greenish diarrhea. He also informed that most birds of his neighbours were also suffering with similar symptoms.
I had asked him to show me one of his ailing birds for appropriate diagnosis. In the mean time Mr. Chamatkar Sarkar of Mahipara, Margram, came to the dispensary and told that out of his 30 non-descriptive poultry birds 8 died last night. Curiously, Mr. Sarkar’s birds were previously vaccinated with Fstrain and R2B strain of Ranikhet Disease (New Castle Disease) vaccine as per schedule. He brought an ailing bird to me for treatment.
On the first look, I found it alarming. It was a non-descriptive type matured hen showing symptoms like occulo-nasal discharge, laboured breathing and pasty faeces stuck to the feathers around cloacae. But the most striking lesion was its heavily swollen face especially around eyes. Its comb and wattle was also swollen. Wattle and face was prominently cyanotic.
While interrogating, I found most of the birds died within few hours of showing symptoms. Then I had arrange a quick visit to the reported area i.e. Mahipara, Baganpara and Mirapara of Margram. It was havoc on 7th night. Nearly 300 birds died on that night and the dead birds were thrown here and there in the village. Street dogs and crows were making feast on those carcasses. The village Margram is predominantly inhabited by lower and lower-middle class Muslim community and most of the family is having a good no of desi (Non-descriptive) poultry birds and duck population. At that time I collected two freshly died Bird, one from Mr. Jahangir Sarkar of Baganpara and another from Mr. Chamatkar Sarkar of Mahipara, as sample and send it in ice pack at once to the District Pathological Lab., Suri, Birbhum, stating all the fact and urgency. I had not gone for a postmortem of the birds assuming it might be a case of Bird Flu (Avian Influenza).
I had also distributed antibiotics, mainly oxytetracycline powder, among the villagers for the treatment of ailing birds.
On 9th of Januuary’ 08, I had again visited the affected area and made them alert that not to consume poultry meat till the disease diagnosed. As per discussion with the District Animal Husbandry authority we had decided to start vaccinate poultry surrounding the infected area with Ranikhet Disease (Newcastle Disease) F1 strain nasal vaccine. At the same time we started an End Point Survey to search out the actual spread of the disease.
On 10th January it was found the disease grasp more and area and most of birds vaccinated on 9th was died showing same symptoms. On that very day we first time attempted Post Mortem examination of ailing birds after getting Personal Protective gear.
Dr Somnath Bhattyacharya, Veterinary Officer, State animal Health Center, Nalhati, Birbhum and I dissected as much as 15 ailing birds on the spot and found that 70% of birds had provetricular bleeding, pneumonic lung and degenerative changes in liver. Few birds also were showing bleeding on pericardium and hippocampus region of brain. Birds on laying stage had a symptom of egg-peritonitis. In all cases intestine was full of cheesy feacal material of whitish and greenish colour. On that day we send 5 freshly dead bird, and 40 other sample of serum, cloacal and tracheal swab collected from poultry birds (Non-descriptive type) and Ducks.
At the evening we met with Block Development Officer, Rampurhat-II and Sabhapati of Panchyet Samity, to brief the situation and discussed about how to restrict people from consuming poultry meat of ailing flock. As it was decided the Mosques of that area first started campaigning to aware people against consumption and movement of poultry and poultry products.

You Want To Know More???? Please feel free to write me……

My phone no.-91-9333451526

e-mail: deysuman72@rediffmail.com ; deysuman72@gmail.com

******* The Title Picture Shows the first sample of bird send to the laboratory.

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

BIRD FLU IN INDIA

Hi! Do you hear about the Bird Flu Infection in Margram, West Bengal, India?

Let me state the disaster occurred on January 2008 in West Bengal.

I am Dr. Suman Dey ( email: deysuman72@rediffmail.com), Veterinary Officer at Block Animal Health Center, Margram, under Rampurhat-II block, Birbhum. I have 1st identified the case of Bird Flu at Margram.
The incidence was identified when a villager came to meet me in my office on 8th January’08 morning and told me most of his household non-descriptive type poultry birds are suffering from illness predominantly showing whitish- greenish diarrhea. He also informed that most birds of his neighbours were also suffering with similar symptoms.
I had asked him to show me one of his ailing birds for appropriate diagnosis. In the mean time Mr. Chamatkar Sarkar of Mahipara, Margram, came to the dispensary and told that out of his 30 non-descriptive poultry birds 8 died last night. Curiously, Mr. Sarkar’s birds were previously vaccinated with F1 and R2B strain of Ranikhet Disease (New Castle Disease) vaccine as per schedule. He brought an ailing bird to me for treatment.
On the first look, I found it alarming. It was a non-descriptive type matured hen showing symptoms like occulo-nasal discharge, laboured breathing and pasty faeces stuck to the feathers around cloacae. But the most striking lesion was its heavily swollen face especially around eyes. Its comb and wattle was also swollen. Wattle and face was prominently cyanotic. While interrogating, I found most of the birds died within few hours of showing symptoms. Then I had arrange a quick visit to the reported area i.e. Mahipara, Baganpara and Mirapara of Margram. It was havoc on 7th night. Nearly 300 birds died on that night and the dead birds were thrown here and there in the village. Street dogs and crows were making feast on those carcasses. The village Margram is predominantly inhabited by lower and lower-middle class Muslim community and most of the family is having a good no of desi (Non-descriptive) poultry birds and duck population. At that time I collected two freshly died Bird as sample, one from Mr. Jahangir Sarkar of Baganpara and another from Mr. Chamatkar Sarkar of MAhipara and send it in ice pack at once to the District Pathological Lab., Suri, Birbhum, stating all the fact and urgency. I had not gone for a postmortem of the birds assuming it might be a case of Bird Flu (Avian Influenza). At that time I had distributed antibiotics, mainly Oxytetracycline powder among the villagers for the treatment of ailing birds.