Experts sent to India’s Assam to investigate bird flu scare

Health workers have yet to confirm any human cases of H5N1, but they said patients in six districts were suffering from fever and respiratory infections, which are symptoms of the virus in humans.

“No human cases of H5N1 have been confirmed in the state. But we are on maximum alert,” Himanta Biswa Sarma, Assam’s Health minister, said.

Three teams of federal medical experts, including epidemiologists and microbiologists, are keeping a close watch on humans in affected areas of the oil- and tea-producing state.

The medical teams brought supplies of equipment as a preventative measure in case the virus spreads to humans, including 10,000 Tamiflu capsules, 6,000 surgical masks and two ventilators.

“More medicines and equipment will reach here in the next two days to cope up with the situation,” Sarma said.

Veterinary officials have slaughtered more than 300,000 chickens and ducks since late November, after the virus was detected in poultry last month in a village close to Guwahati, the region’s main city.

More than 400 rapid response teams have been formed for culling operations in areas affected by the disease, which experts suspect was carried by migratory birds.

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