Goats dying by the score in Birbaum from mystery disease
Scott McPherson
in Politics and government, influenza and infectious diseases
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1 Comment
Intrepid readers:
My last post, titled "This is how a pandemic might begin..... 2,300 complain of fever in Birbhum, West Bengal :, is now accompanied by a companion piece -- about the sudden and totally unexpected deaths of more than 100 goats, in the same area.
From today's Times of India, just a few moments ago:
Flu panic rises as goats drop dead
25 Jan 2008, 0223 hrs IST
,Caesar Mandal,TNN
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MARGRAM (BIRBHUM): Hundreds of goats have died of an unknown disease over the past four days in Birbhum's Rampurhat block II.
Some experts warned that if the H5N1 virus — which causes bird flu — has jumped from birds to mammals, it could be the turn of humans next. TOI met jittery villagers in Dakhalbati, one of the affected villages in Birbhum's Margram. Abdul Mohid, a farmer, said his goat was shivering and sneezing and saliva was oozing from its mouth. Mohid had called in a local vet, who could only say the animal was suffering from high fever but could not pinpoint a disease. Though he prescribed medicines, those have not worked. Mohid, who has already lost 35 chickens to bird flu, is now scared about his livestock. He said that several neighbours had lost their goats as well to the mystery ailment. His neighbour Seikh Kalim has buried seven goats over the past two days. They were suffering from a similar disease. In their case, too, drugs prescribed refused to work. The animals had fever and their throats started swelling before they fell unconscious and died within minutes. At Dakhalbati, more than 60 goats have died so far. Villagers are blaming bird flu, as the symptoms are similar. But the state administration has claimed there was no information of cattle dying in the district. "It could be pneumonia, which commonly affects goats. But an H5N1 attack is not impossible. Pigs are proven carriers and since these goats have been sharing space with the affected birds, they are vulnerable. Chances of humans contracting the disease can't be ruled out," said Shyamalendu Chatterjee of the Indian Council for Medical Research. Others like Barun Roy, an animal diseases expert, pointed out that H5N1 was yet to affect cattle anywhere in the world. "It is unheard of. The goats must have been suffering from pneumonia," Roy said. The state administration, too, has claimed it had no information of goats dying in the district. Bird flu has resulted in huge financial losses for the villagers. They are not happy with the compensation. Now, most are trying to sell off their goats. "I have sold three goats at a low price. If this disease is bird flu, goats would be killed and I would lose my entire investment," said Mohammad Motier Rahaman, who lost three goats in two days. Reports of hundreds of goats dying have also come in from Murshidabad's Khargram and Beldanga areas. |
This is serious stuff, even if it is unrelated to avian influenza. Note the speed with which the landscape has changed in just the past twenty-four hours. Note that it feels like we have been talking Indian H5N1 for weeks, when really the stories just started coming in ten days ago.
This is how the start of a pandemic will make its presence known to us. A few scattered media accounts, unconfirmed and unsubstantiated at first; then, suddenly, more and more specific reports will appear. Finally, and with a crushing blow, the outbreak will happen. And this is why we must continue to remain vigilant. Because if H5N1 has crossed the species barrier again, and gain a foothold in Indian goats as well as wild birds and poultry, we will have another endemic reservoir of avian flu -- this time, located in the second most populous nation in the world. And H5N1 will have significantly increased its chances of going pandemic.
As Dr. Henry Niman is fond of saying: H5N1 does not read press releases. His commentary is located at:
http://www.recombinomics.com/News/01240804/Birbhum_Goats.html
Reader Comments (1)
I was Born In this Place !!!!
Margram ...
pir tala !!!