Bhopal’s High Security Animal Disease Laboratory reported fresh bird flu cases in West Bengal on Friday.

The laboratory confirmed that the blood samples sent from Raghunathganj and Jiaganj from Murshidabad region were infected with the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of bird flu virus.

Animal Husbandry secretary Pradeep Kumar confirmed, “We have a fresh outbreak. Two samples from Raghunathganj and Jiaganj tested positive. Samples were sent on March 6 to HSADL Bhopal. We notified the West Bengal government on Saturday.”

“Since the earlier outbreak in West Bengal had occurred in backyard poultry, culling teams had reported that villagers were hiding birds in infected districts from culling teams. The virus may have survived because of this. Fresh culling operations will start from Sunday,” Mr. Kumar added.

The bird flu attacked 13 zones of West Bengal.

At first, the bird flu epidemic in West Bengal was confirmed on January 15. But, the state hadn’t reported new disease eruptions since Feb. 2.

Incidentally, Murshidabad was the epicentre of the recent occurrence.

A highly-placed source told, “Containment and culling operations will now have to be started afresh in 3-5 km radius around the newly-affected areas. One of the affected areas is a new village in a block which had earlier reported an outbreak.”

The epidemic arises just days after the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) cautioned that intensive surveillance should carry on in risky arenas as the likelihood of new eruptions remained high.

Joseph Domenechhe FAO's chief veterinary officer said, “The virus could still be present in the environment despite heavy slaughtering and extensive disinfection of affected areas, or it could be reintroduced from other countries.”

In order to end the spread of the virus that causes the disease, around four million chickens and ducks affected by the disease had been killed in the country.

FAO officials also said, "Intensive culling in the predominantly backyard poultry sector appears to have stopped the disease in its tracks".

The FAO had advised people that in order to prevent the spread of the bird flu, one must know the disease, how it spreads and what are its causes because the virus could still be present in the environment despite heavy slaughtering and extensive disinfection of affected areas.