Initial reaction

The first reports of bird flu in India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

 came from the village of Nawapur in the Nandurbar district of Maharashtra

Maharashtra

Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...

 on 19 February 2006. Villagers reported a large number of bird deaths in the village. Maharashtra State Animal Husbandry Ministry authorities rushed to the spot. Lab analysis proved that the poultry was indeed affected with the H5N1

H5N1

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1, also known as "bird flu", A or simply H5N1, is a subtype of the influenza A virus which can cause illness in humans and many other animal species...

 virus.

Government response

Soon after the presence of the virus was confirmed culling operations began. 253000 birds and 587000 eggs were destroyed within 5 days. Villagers who were exhibiting flu-like symptoms were quarantined and kept under observation. Blood samples from 150 persons were sent to the National Institute of Virology, Pune

Pune

Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...

 for analysis. Movement of people into the area was strictly regulated and passenger trains were instructed not to halt at Nawapur. Governments of States which border Maharashtra banned the import of poultry from the latter. Some other State Governments like those of Tamil Nadu and Jammu & Kashmir also introduced similar restrictions. The Government of India asked pharmaceutical companies like Cipla

Cipla

Cipla Limited is a prominent Indian pharmaceutical company, best-known outside its home country for manufacturing low-cost anti-AIDS drugs for HIV-positive patients in developing countries...

 to manufacture anti-flu medication. The Government also started stockpiling Tamiflu. The Indian Army

Indian Army

The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...

 was set on alert to aid in evacuation operations and drug-distribution measures.

Grievances of locals

The poultry

Poultry

Poultry are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of producing eggs, meat, and/or feathers. These most typically are members of the superorder Galloanserae , especially the order Galliformes and the family Anatidae , commonly known as "waterfowl"...

 industry is the main source of income for the people of Nawapur who claimed the Government is overreacting. According to them, the cause of the bird deaths was in fact the seasonal Ranikhet disease and not bird-flu. They alleged that the compensation guaranteed to them by the Government after culling had not been handed to them. They also said the media created an unnecessary clamour over the incident.

Economic Impact

Prices of chicken products across India plummeted resulting in a steep rise in the prices of mutton and fish. The poultry industry is expected to have lost hundreds of millions of Rupees because of this. Airlines including Air India

Air India

Air India is the flag carrier airline of India. It is part of the government of India owned Air India Limited . The airline operates a fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft serving Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. Its corporate office is located at the Air India Building at Nariman...

, Jet Airways

Jet Airways

Jet Airways is a major Indian airline based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is India's largest airline and the market leader in the domestic sector. It operates over 400 flights daily to 76 destinations worldwide. Its main hub is Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, with secondary hubs at Delhi,...

, Indian Airlines and Kingfisher Airlines

Kingfisher Airlines

Kingfisher Airlines is an airline group based in India. Its head office is Kingfisher House in Vile Parle , Mumbai. Kingfisher Airlines, through its parent company United Breweries Group, has a 50% stake in low-cost carrier Kingfisher Red....

struck chicken off their inflight menus.

Official response

Both the State and Central Governments denied any overreaction. The Centre said it had enough supplies of Tamiflu and that there is no cause for worry.