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Biosecurity Briefing
Anthrax Outbreak follows Bird Flu Outbreak in West Bengal By Kunal Rambhia, February 15, 2008 BBC News reported on February 13, 2008, that bans have been lifted on poultry sales in the state of West Bengal, India, following what the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling “the most serious [H5N1 avian flu] outbreak yet in South Asia.” Although the culling of birds has ceased, state animal husbandry minister Anisur Rehman said that “disinfecting villages infected by avian influenza could continue for several weeks.”1 Reuters reported on February 5 that West Bengal’s ban on poultry sales had been expanded from 13 affected districts to include the entire state. Culling efforts were met with some resistance because India’s predominantly rural population “has millions of backyard fowl.” Although no human infections have been reported in this outbreak, more than 3.4 million birds were culled, and it is believed to have cost the poultry industry more than $20 million. India, the world’s second largest exporter of eggs, suffered a 50% decline in exports due to the outbreak.2 In related news, amidst the poultry ban, The Telegraph reported on February 4, 2008, that anthrax infection was confirmed in cows in West Bengal and two neighboring states. During the past several weeks, more than one dozen cows in West Bengal died of anthrax, causing Indian officials to start vaccinating cattle.3 On February 6, Calcutta News.Net quoted the director of the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NCID), Shiv Lal as saying that anthrax “is commonly seen among cattle, sheep, goats, and antelopes” but stressed that this outbreak “was not connected with bird-flu that has created havoc in West Bengal”4 The Telegraph again reported on February 11 that a vaccination program for cattle in endemic areas has been proposed and would be conducted yearly for five years. Vaccination is to be followed with sero-monitoring of livestock throughout the five years of the program. In order to be declared “provisionally” free from anthrax, no cases can occur during that time. To accomplish this, authorities anticipate that half of the estimated 24 million livestock in the region will have to be vaccinated.5 References
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