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India sights infected species, but says no bird flu fear yet
by Sunil Sharma

     Ropar/Chandigarh: Indian scientists on Thursday calmed fears of the deadly avian flu virus striking the country as reports of 10 dead migratory birds being found in eastern India sparked panic across sanctuaries, who say they have gone on an extra vigil. Official in West Bengal had on Wednesday said around 40 dead Open-bill Stork chicks had been found in one of the state's five bird sanctuaries in the past week, but added they could have died after falling from their nests during a storm. Their blood samples are undergoing test but the federal health minister has assured there were no cases of bird flu and 10,000 blood samples of birds tested so far had come up negative. Authorities in Punjab, which plays host to thousands of Cormorants, who are amongst the species blacklisted for the virus are monitoring nesting sites even as hundreds more continue to land in India in the coming weeks. Gulls and the Bar Headed Geese, who have been found infected with the virus in China, Thailand and the UK, have also been sighted at the huge wetlands in Ropar. But Gurbas Singh, the state's chief conservator for wildlife, said despite the alert it is highly unlikely for any infected bird, who would be facing severe physical symptoms, to be able to fly the long distance to India. "The bird flu is not at an alarming stage in Punjab particularly. The migratory birds have started coming in Ropar area. There is no panic to be seen because no bird has been found to be infected with any virus. When they fly from their origin from China and Siberia, if a bird was infected they are not likely to reach India because the movement becomes sluggish and it is difficult to reach here. So it is more I think it is a psycho fear that the bird flu is going to have devastating effect in Punjab. But we are on a vigil," Singh said in an interview in Chandigarh.

     New Delhi is taking no chances and all 29 Indian states in the populous nation have been asked to take blood samples of droppings and any dead birds found at nesting sites and have them tested for the virus at one of five centres. "The Government has set up a high-powered committee to monitor these migratory birds and as a precautionary measure we are collecting samples of droppings and blood samples to test if they are infected or not," said Sukhdip Singh Bajwa, a wildlife expert in Ropar. More than 60 people in South East Asia have died of bird flu since it resurfaced in 2003 after a brief outbreak in the 1990s. At present, most people are infected with bird flu by handling sick birds or through their droppings. But scientists' greatest fear is that H5N1 virus will mutate into a form that will pass easily among people, sparking a pandemic that could kill millions and cripple the global economy. Experts say the world is overdue for a human flu pandemic.

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