Vaccination drive began on Tuesday in West Bengal's Coochbehar district, where six cows have died of anthrax, official sources said. The drive will take place in the adjoining areas of Bhojaner-Chhara village in Mathabhanga, where six cattle died of anthrax last Friday.
 
Animal Resources Development minister Anisur Rahman told PTI that anthrax was common and a team of ARD vets have rushed to the area. With blood samples of the dead cattle testing positive, the deaths created panic in the district in the wake of the bird flu scare.
 
Meanwhile, culling operation neared completion in West Bengal with 34 lakh birds exterminated. However, eight quarantined members of a culling team in North Parganas district were being monitored after they complained of severe cold and joint ache.
 
Reports from neighbouring South 24 Parganas district said that the condition of two members of a culling team, suffering from influenza, was improving.
 
Rahman said 34 lakh chicken were culled in the operation and further measures would be discussed at a meeting later in the day.
 
In Minakha block of North 24 Parganas, 300 domestic fowls had already been killed and 1,100 birds will be culled by today evening, the officials said. Culling was on at Canning-II block in South 24 Parganas, where samples sent from Sarengabad gram panchyat in Canning block-2 for tests had been declared positive on February 2, the sources said. The entire operation may take another three-four days in the interior area.
 
In Howrah, where 278 chicken had died in the past few days at Sultanpur and Bokapara areas, the result of the sample tests were expected by tonight, officials said.
 
Mopping up and disinfection continued in other affected areas of the 13 districts with ARD personnel tracking hidden poultry, the officials said.