The state government has earmarked the release of $80.5 million to prevent the disease from further spreading. The World Health Organization (WHO) earlier said it was India's most serious outbreak since the strain first hit the country two years ago.
Authorities have confirmed the H5N1 bird flu virus in two districts so far.
State authorities continue to assure the public that the bird flu outbreak is under control. "The culling operation will be completed in Burdwan, Bankura and South Dinajpur districts. We need to step up our operation in Murshidabad and Birbhum. It will take another four-five days to complete our task," Home Secretary Prasad Ranjan Roy has been quoted as saying.
Culling operations continue, led by 640 teams but the state government has requested for more medical staff from neighboring states. Around 430,000 birds have been slaughtered so far in West Bengal but 2.1 million (21 lakh) birds are yet to be culled.
Animal Husbandry Commissioner S K Bandopadhyay said a number of samples from Howrah, South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, Hooghly, Kolkata, West Midnapur districts sent for testing to the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory in Bhopal have turned up negative.
