Click to play videoGuwahati: Assam has been hit by bird flu once again. Seven districts have been affected and culling operations are underway and poultry sale has been banned.
There are unconfirmed reports of probable spread of avian influenza to humans. And though isolation facilities in hospitals are ready, the authorities seem helpless in the face of the deadly virus.
So as culling operations like this one is taking place across Assam, the biggest difficulty it's facing is the absence of trained staff or rapid response teams to carry out such operations.
"Most of the rapid response team has been trained. But the outbreak is spreading from one district to other," said Birdflu Control Team's Dr Amarjyoti Hazarika.
All areas within a 3 kilometre radius of the epicentre have been decalred as high risk zone. Yet awarness seems to be at its lowest.
Poultry owner Moon Dutta refuses to part with the birds despite the flu.
"Last time I lost Rs 50,000 because of bird flu. Why should I take my birds, they are fine," he said.
Meanwhile the Assam's Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is concerned about people's causal attitute towards the deadly virus.
"I am literary worried that people are taking it lightly," he said.
A fear not unfounded, but the Union Health Minister says that there is no reason to worry.
"There is manpower and technical support. So far there are no cases of humans being affected," said Ramadoss.
A team has already arrived from Delhi to oversee cullng operations in Assam. Officials say the disease will be contained by end-December.
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