Bird flu: US issues travel advisory; PETA blames state

The US government has issued an alert on Avian Influenza for American citizens staying in the eastern part of the country.

"While it is possible that humans will eventually contract this deadly disease, US citizens are reminded that Avian Influenza is primarily a disease of birds. All US citizens should consider their medium-term plans in the unlikely event that the Avian Influenza ever becomes a virulent human disease, or pandemic flu," said a press release issued by the US consulate in Kolkata today.

The US government has also advised all American citizens to practise good hygiene and avoid close contact with any fowl, such as chickens and ducks, sick birds and to not to visit "wet" markets where poultry are slaughtered.

Meanwhile, the People for Ethical Animals (PETA) India, an organistion for animal rights, has pointed fingers towards poultry owners and the state government for not following and encouraging good animal husbandry practices to stop the spread of the bird flu virus.

The organisation on Thursday released a video showing unhygienic and inhuman conditions in which chickens are reared in poultries across the country.

The video is a part of a five-year study conducted by PETA on poultry farms, organised and unorganised, across the country.

"A copy of the study was given to the West Bengal government in June 2007, but sadly we have not heard anything from the government. Now under the Right to Information Act, we have sought information on animal husbandry practices followed by the state government," said NG Jayasimhang, campaign manager, PETA.

In the letter , the organisation had urged the state government to enact animal protection laws and had warned against a potential health hazard, including bird flu.

Jayasimhang also expressed dissatisfaction over the mass-culling that was being carried out in the state, without administrating the birds with anesthesia, which is a an internationally accepted mandate.

The existing culling practice could further spread bird flu, as the carcass was not properly disposed off, he further warned.

According to PETA, Union ministry of health and family welfare had paid more than $19,74,619 as compensation for poultry and feed in 2006, after the bird flu outbreak in Maharashtra, while over $2,23,810 was paid for birds culled in 2007, when there was a bird flu outbreak again in Manipur.

"The poultry industry is itself responsible for their present plight, so they should not be compensated from the taxpayers' money," Jayasimhang said.

In West Bengal, PETA had conducted studies across major poultry-producing districts over the last five years, and in none of the areas, good hygiene practices were being followed, so the present outbreak was impending, and its human transmission could not be ruled out, he said.