SUNDAY, Mar 9, (News Locale) - The dreaded H5N1 virus once again reared its ugly head in West Bengal with health authorities reporting fresh cases of bird flu in two villages in Murshidabad district. The fresh outbreak occurred just days after the West Bengal government had officially lifted the ban on chicken sales following the country's worst ever outbreak of the disease. 

Murshidabad district magistrate Subir Bhadra confirmed the outbreak, stating that over 900 poultry birds had died in Nayamukundapur and Dohapara villages, some 300 kms away from Kolkata. Bhadra added that samples sent to the National Animal Research Laboratory in Bhopal have been tested positive for the H5N1 virus.

West Bengal Animal Resource Development (ARD) Minister Anisur Rahman said that the state government will be organizing over 60 rapid response teams with culling of the poultry birds in the region will be started immediately.

This is the second outbreak of the disease in less than two months after 16 of the 19 districts in the state reported cases of bird flu in mid January. Widespread culling of the poultry birds was carried out with over 40 lakh ducks and chickens killed as the state government struggled to control the spread of the disease.

The culling was stopped by February 5 and the ban on sales of chicken and ducks lifted a week later, though culling resumed on February 22 in Murshidabad and Birbhum following a report by the central government that stated that the work was incomplete in the two districts.

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