Indian state says bird flu under control, Bangladesh reports spread

0 Comments | AFP, February, 2008

KOLKATA (AFP) — An Indian state said it had brought the country's worst ever bird flu outbreak under control on Saturday, just as neighbouring Bangladesh reported the virus was spreading.

The deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu had been detected in 13 of 19 districts in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal since the outbreak began in mid-January.

The state's Animal Resource Development Minister Anisur Rahaman told AFP that health workers expected to complete the culling of three million poultry by late Saturday.

"We have so far culled nearly 2.9 million poultry since January 14," when the outbreak -- India's third and worst -- was confirmed, Rahaman said.

He added that the "next plan is to disinfect thousands of backyard poultry yards where culling has...