New Delhi (AsiaNews) – The government of Maharashtra State in India admitted to outbreaks of bird flu in the districts of Nandurbar and Dhule on 18 February. This is the first time the infection has been registered in the subcontinent. Medical aid was immediately dispatched and the zone, where poultry breeding farms are plentiful, was quarantined.

More than 50,000 chickens died in 52 farms in the area in the last two weeks, but the government said that at first, it thought another virus was responsible. More than 900,000 chickens were culled within a 3km radius around the city of Nandurbar, some 450km from New Delhi. Some 750,000 doses of vaccine have been administered in food to animals. The neighboring state of Gujarat is on a state of high alert, especially in Surat city, where breeding farms of poultry often receive supplies from Maharashtra. D.K. Rao, secretary of the Ministry for Animal Husbandry, said 100 chickens died within the last 10 to 12 days in nine farms in Surat, where around 18,000 birds are bred. To undertake careful checks, 11 veterinary teams have been dispatched to the site, but this mortality rate is said to be "normal".

Anees Ahemd, Minister of Animal Husbandry and Agriculture said all necessary precautions had been taken to prevent infection, the entire area had been quarantined and doctors and medicines had been sent. So far, there is no news of human cases of infection, but testing is under way in the case of a 27-year-old breeder who died with symptoms similar to those presented by the disease. The people in the districts of Dhule and Nandurbar have been advised to "be careful" when consuming poultry products.

"This is the first time that India has been struck by bird flu," said Sharad Paraw, Union Agriculture Minister. "But we are convinced we can control the situation." A centre for prevention of the infection has been activated in New Delhi and Anbumani Ramadoss, Union Health Minister, will coordinate "the most appropriate interventions at all levels" with the Maharashtra authorities, depending on "developments in the situation" according to ministerial sources.

Anyhow, the situation was described as being "under control".

The value of poultry products exported by India to Europe, Japan and the Middle East amounts to around 84.4 million dollars per year. Sales increased in 2005 after bird flu hit other countries like Indonesia.