Health authorities in Assam have placed under surveillance about 300,000 people in bird flu affected areas with reports of some 150 people suffering from fever and upper respiratory infections, fuelling fears of the deadly virus spreading to humans, officials said Friday.

‘Isolation facilities have been strengthened to admit and treat suspect cases although no cases of influenza like illness with history of contact with infected poultry have been detected so far,’ (Snip) ‘About 150 people were treated for fever and upper respiratory tract infections in bird flu hit areas. We have put the patients in isolation, although the symptoms do not indicate influenza like illness,’ he added.
(Snip)
Health authorities have sounded a general alert fearing strains of the deadly bird flu virus spreading to humans and sparking a pandemic in the state.

‘We are really worried about the bird flu virus spreading to humans as the strains transmit rapidly. We don’t know for sure if our health department would be able to cope if such a thing happens,’ said Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

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