Two humans feared infected with Bird Flu

New Delhi: As Union Health Secretary P K Hota announced that there is a distinct possibility of Avian Flu virus having infected some humans in the affected areas, sources on Wednesday claimed that Bird Flu seems to have spread to humans.

Sources say two of the 12 people under observation have been found to be infected with the bird flu virus. The patients have been put in isolation at Navapur.

Meanwhile, eight people are still in quarantine in Navapur. Their blood samples are being tested at the National Institute of Virology in Pune. The results could be out by Wednesday evening.

Meanwhile, as many as 1.5 lakh chicken have already been culled in Maharashtra. Five lakh more poultry is likely to be killed in the next few days. Culling may now be extended to more areas.

Officials say all poultry in the state will be checked and given certificates by district health officials.

Special checkposts have been set up on the Maharashtra-Gujarat border. All travelers are being given a list of dos and don'ts to follow.

While the health and agriculture department officers flaunted their chicken pakodas, claiming all's well on Tuesday, a day later Union Health Ministry send out a warning - Humans may fall prey to bird flu.

Hota, however, added that even if the human tests are positive, it would be a "mild episode".

Cipla Joint Managing Director Amar Lulla said that earlier the Government had planned to make Tamiflu - the only drug effective in treating bird flu in humans - available through trade retail channels.

This ban on retail sale has been imposed keeping in view the general tendency of people to use drugs as precautionary measure even when it is not necessary.

But now, Cipla would be making the drug available through hospitals and other institutional sales.

He said the company would make available the drug by this weekend and "we will be supplying to any hospital and institution willing to buy it". The company had stated a strip of ten capsules would cost Rs 1000.

The Centre announced that it will increase the procurement of Tamiflu to two million doses. Also, the protective gear would be increased from a current 10,000 to 30,000.