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Experts rule out human-to-human transmission New Delhi, February 23 Briefing mediapersons here on Thursday, ICMR’s Director-General, Dr N.K. Ganguly, said there was therefore no need to shut down schools and colleagues in bird flu hit areas on the apprehension that it may spread to human-beings. “At the moment, there is no indication of human to human transmission of bird flu virus.” Experts from the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, Delhi, and senior officials from the ministries of Animal Husbandry and Health appeared relieved with the results of 94 human samples while anxiously awaiting the report card of the lone sample. Dr Ganguly said of the 95 human samples tested so far, 94 were found to be clear with no H5N1 virus. He said the lone sample was being tested at the National Institute of Virology, Pune. The test would be available on Saturday. He said the sequencing of virus done till the end of 2005 has shown no sign of human influenza virus in the bird flu virus. Though some strong Vietnamese mutation in the H5N1 virus indicated this trend, it is confined to a particular locality. New probes are being developed to probe the virus. He told TNS that the best possible steps have to be taken to prevent it from coming to humans. “If it ever recombines with human influenza virus, there will be a problem,’’ he warned. Additional Secretary, Health, Deepak Gupta said that there is no case of human Avian influenza. “The situation is being closely monitored and is under control. The 12 persons under observation, are improving and all critical symptoms are alright.’’ Animal Husbandry Joint Secretary Upma Chawdhry explained that Avian Influenza virus basically affects poultry and prospers in poultry. “It finds a biological niche in poultry. On occasions, it crosses the species border to affect human beings who have either been in contact with poultry or have eaten poultry products.’’ Replying to a question about the adverse impact on poultry exports, Animal Husbandry Secretary, P.M.A. Hakeem said India exports poultry products worth Rs 200 crore to 220 crore every year. Asked if the government was contemplating any compensation package for persons who earn a livelihood out of selling poultry products, Upma Chawdhry replied, “We are only six days into the containment of the disease. The sector in the affected area is bound to suffer as it has elsewhere in the world. We export poultry products to Africa and Arabian countries. It is unfortunate but the good thing is that the outbreak is localised.’’ Briefing mediapersons on culling operations, the Animal Husbandry Joint Secretary said poultry farmers had been paid compensation.  |
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Navapur closed to traffic Mumbai, February 23 Officials clarified that Navapur had not been closed to outsiders as reported by certain sections of the media. While trains passing through Navapur to Gujarat would not halt at the station, buses would halt at a makeshift bus stop outside the affected area, state Transport Department officials said here. Meanwhile, about 1.95 lakh chickens had been culled and 3.60 lakh eggs and 36 metric tonnes of chicken feed destroyed. Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has asked officials to explain the low number of chickens culled when figures of more than nine lakh had been estimated earlier. Meanwhile, 11 of the 12 persons quarantined with symptoms of bird flu have tested negative for the virus. The samples of the last person remained to be tested, the officials said. The officials said a decision to stock hospitals with Tamiflu to combat the H5N1 virus would be taken only when bird flu was confirmed among humans. Experts have warned that unprescribed use of the medicine could result in the virus mutating and becoming immune to the drug.
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