India is likely to ask Bangladesh to help contain the spread of bird flu in the region. This deadly disease related to poultry birds recently occurred in Assam, which borders Bangladesh. Indian authorities feel that the deadly virus has entered the country from Bangladesh
Bird flu has spread to Barpeta, Nalabari and Kamrup districts in Assam leading to culling of over 1,00,000 birds. The worst hit area and the epicentre is Palasbari circle. The neigbouring states like Tripura and Mizoram have sounded a high alert. Bird Flu has been occurring in the country since 2006 and has severely affected the poultry industry and exports. The last incidence of bird flu was reported in West Bengal in February, 2008 and after extensive culling operations and control measures, the world animal health organisation ? OIE ? declared the country as bird flu-free in mid-November, this year. But before some importing countries could lift the ban on Indian exports, the tragedy visited again in the first week of December.
Earlier, there were incidences of bird flu in northeastern India and authorities had maintained that the virus spread from Bangladesh.
The matter was taken up in the forum of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). ?We have asked the ministry of external affairs to take up the issue with Bangladesh for containing the spread of the deadly virus. We are members of the eight-nation body SAARC and the region has to be free of bird flu virus and the cooperation of Bangladesh is absolutely necessary,? said a senior official in the department of animal husbandry.