West Bengal Declared Bird Flu-Free Amid Tense Surveillance

West Bengal officials confirmed that no samples from poultry birds tested positive for bird flu, negating the need for restrictions. Health Secretary N.S. Nigam assured that active surveillance showed no human infections, emphasizing the region's safety. Despite isolated cases, comprehensive testing upheld that the outbreak source was not from Bengal.

None of the samples of poultry birds from various parts of West Bengal tested positive for bird flu, a senior official confirmed on Thursday, ensuring the public that there is no cause for alarm.

Health Secretary N S Nigam stated that the state government is not considering any restrictions on the consumption of poultry items at this time.

"The situation in West Bengal is normal, and there is nothing to worry about. We have carried out active influenza surveillance, and not a single person was affected by the virus," Nigam told reporters. "There was no human-to-human transmission of the disease. The health department is not issuing any advisories on restricting chicken, eggs, and other poultry items," he said.

Nigam also mentioned that a total of 30,000 samples collected throughout the year from different parts of West Bengal were tested at the state-run Belgachia Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary Biologicals.

"Thirty percent of the samples are sent for retesting at the Bhopal-based ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases," he added.

The health department highlighted a four-year-old child from Kaliachak in Malda district was diagnosed with the disease in January but recovered after treatment. Another child who traveled from the city to Australia in February tested positive for avian influenza after arriving there.

"After that incident, we conducted active surveillance of the family members and other persons, and none tested positive for the virus. What we can say is that the source of the virus was not Bengal," Animal Resources Development Additional Chief Secretary Vivek Kumar said.

Meanwhile, a team comprising senior health department officials and World Health Organization (WHO) representatives conducted another round of evaluation in Malda's Kaliachak on Thursday, finding no evidence of infection.

The H9N2 bird flu virus is a subtype of the avian influenza virus, which spreads through direct contact with infected animals or indirectly through contaminated environments.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)