# 1571
Perhaps its a bit of headline hyperbole, but if so, it probably isn't by much. Bird flu has shown up in the areas surrounding Kolkata (Calcutta), and officials are desperate to keep it out of this city of 15 million people.
News paper reports recount tales of disorganized and ineffective culling operations in West Bengal, of corruption, and even of cullers walking off the job.
Government officials are downplaying those reports.
Culling has now progressed to the 14th district of the state, a pretty good indication that the outbreak is not yet contained.
This from the Deccan Herald.
Kolkata, IANS:
Bird flu encircled this eastern India metropolis of over 15 million people on Wednesday as West Bengal government officials started culling poultry in the 14th district of the state.
Officials began culling poultry in North 24 Parganas district after chicken deaths and preliminary tests conducted by the state government suggested the presence of the virus that causes the deadly H5N1 strain of avian influenza.
"We are awaiting the report of the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory (HSADL) in Bhopal but since the union government has permitted us to notify and start the culling, we began the process after our tests suggested the presence of the virus at Baduria in North 24 Parganas," West Bengal Animal Husbandry Minister Anisur Rahman said on Wednesday.
He, however, told IANS there were no fresh reports of chicken deaths except in a farm at Baduria, barely 50 km from Kolkata.
If the tests at the Bhopal laboratory confirm the bird flu, 14 of the 19 districts of the state would be under the grip of the deadly virus though 2.2 million birds have already been culled since the outbreak was reported Jan 15.
The 14 districts include North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas and Howrah, which encircle Kolkata. Hooghly, another affected district, is also very close.
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