Manipur douses flu fears Churachandpur

Death of chicken at Misao Lavom caused by colibacillosis

Imphal, Jan 8 : The Manipur veterinary department today declared that the widespread death of chicken at Misao Lahvom village in Churachandpur district was not caused by bird flu, but by colibacillosis, a common disease during winter. Alarmed by reports of deaths of chicken and hospitalisation of many residents of Misao Lahvom at the district hospital, the veterinary department rushed an expert team, led by specialist Konsam Gopal Singh, to the village yesterday afternoon. “We clinically examined one chicken carcass and four blood samples this morning at our disease investigation laboratory. The cause for the chickens’ death was found to be colibacillosis, a disease caused by e-coli bacteria,” the director of the department, Th. Dorendra Singh, told reporters here today. He said the disease was very common in Manipur during winter and could have been spread by water. At least 10 chicken died of the disease in Misao Lahvom between January 4 and 6 though the duck population was not affected, the team recorded yesterday. The village has a total population of 486 and a chicken and duck population of 100 and 47 respectively. Dorendra Singh said the carcass and blood samples would be sent to the Northeastern Regional Disease Diagnostic Centre, Guwahati, for further laboratory examination as a part of routine investigations. The department has been sending at least 100 blood samples or carcasses to the diagnostic centre every month as part of its intensified surveillance. Manipur has also ban- ned import of poultry products and chickenfeed from Assam, which has been hit by bird flu. The medical directorate today rushed a team, led by additional director (public health) Thounaojam Bhubonchandra, to the government hospital at the district headquarters where 38 villagers from Misao Lahvom are still being treated. Villagers with complaints of fever and headache started arriving at the hospital on Sunday night. Four of them were discharged today while 38 are still undergoing treatment there. “The preliminary report suggests that it is not a case of bird flu. The patients are suffering from a kind of viral fever, but there is no symptom of bird flu. The details will be known only after the team submits a report,” health director W. Motilal Singh said.