No one seems to know. The department of animal husbandry says transmission through migratory birds is not confirmed - anyway the migration season is over now, and if they were the source, the outbreak would have started in October/November last year. It is tracking illegal import of live poultry - which could have been infected -- into the area.
The H5NI virus that causes bird flu has already mutated thrice -- in Vietnam, China-Indonesia and Turkey. The High Security Animal Disease Laboratory is determining which strain has arrived in India or whether it is an altogether new strain. How many people been infected in India so far?
No human case of bird flu has been confirmed. Not taking chances, the government has, however, kept seven people with symptoms of cold and fever in isolation at the Navapur sub-district hospital.
Ninety-five blood samples from people who work at the infected poultry farms and have symptoms of cold and fever have been sent to Pune's National Institute of Virology (51 samples) and Delhi's National Institute of Communicable Diseases (44 samples). Results will be available in four days.
Initial tests show the 28-year-old who died in Surat on Friday night with symptoms similar to bird flu died of bacterial infection. His blood sample has been sent to Bhopal to rule out bird flu positively.
Initial tests show the 28-year-old who died in Surat on Friday night with symptoms similar to bird flu died of bacterial infection. His blood sample has been sent to Bhopal to rule out bird flu positively.