No confirmation of humans infected by bird flu, says Health Minister Ramadoss
Tuesday 22 January 2008

New Delhi, Jan 22 (ANI): Putting to rest fears of humans being infected by bird flu, Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss today said that people have been randomly tested in West Bengal's areas hit by avian influenza and all have tested negative.

"Till date we have not got any confirmation for that (humans being infected by bird flu)," Ramadoss told reporters on the sidelines of a function here, adding that "there is no reason to be concerned of human cases of bird flu."

"We are all vigilant," he said.

Meanwhile, the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) today said that all five human samples taken from West Bengal have tested negative. 

So far, seven districts -- Birbhum, Murshidabad, south Dinajpur, Burdwan, Nadia, Bankura and Malda -- in West Bengal have been affected by bird flu. 

About 160,000 poultry birds have been culled so far, while over 100,000 birds have succumbed to the disease. (ANI)
--MP