In the recent outburst of bird flu in West Bengal, more than fifty thousand chickens have been culled in the previous two days. Murshidabad district, where bird flu visited a month ago has been again revisited currently.

With the objective to carry out the culling process without delay, around 5O Rapid Response teams have been deployed in Raghunathganj and Jiagang blocks of Murshidabad district. However, according to the state's Animal Resources Development minister Anisur Rahman, “the situation is under control and there is no need to panic. “

The Animal Disease Laboratory in Bhopal has confirmed the presence of the bird flu virus in samples sent from these two blocks.

This fresh outbreak of bird flu in Murshidabad has raised questions about the culling process carried out by the government in January when 40 lakh birds were killed.

But Rahman minister feels the fresh outbreak is not the result of any lapse.

Rahman said, ''More than 40 lakh birds have been culled in the 16 districts but all preventive measures were taken there. Even ban was imposed for import and marketing of the poultry, but despite of that it is the nature of the virus. It is not at all unnatural, it is natural that it can emerge in sporadic form in some area.''

Last time the epicentre of the bird flu epidemic was Birbhum district from where the virus had spread rapidly across the state.

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