Bird flu [Images] in West Bengal spread to a sixth district Bankura and poultry deaths were reported on Sunday from new areas of the state including in northern districts of Darjeeling and Cooch Behar.

The culling of birds in the five affected districts of Birbhum, South Dinajpur, Mushidabad, Nadia and Burdwan were also stepped up. Officials said in Kolkata that till Saturday more than 122,000 birds were culled though it fell far short of the targetted 4 lakh figure.

The Centre has also sent a team to neighbouring Jharkhand and Bihar to monitor the ground situation there. Teams will be also sent to Mumbai and north-eastern states.

"As per the report of HSADL, Bhopal, the sample from Bankura has also tested positive. Further more samples from Nadia, Birbhum and Mushidabad districts have also tested positive," the Union Animal Husbandry Department said.

A total of 98,254 poultry mortality has been reported from Birbhum, South Dinajpur, Mushidabad, Nadia, South 24 Parganas, Burdwan and Bankura districts of West Bengal.

The Centre said that more samples have been sent to the HSADL, Bhopal, from Howrah, South 24 Parganas, Hooghly, Kolkata, Burdwan, Malda and West Midnapore.

Reports of avian deaths have been reported from far-flung areas in Darjeeling and Cooch Behar triggering panic.

Visiting Union Minister of State for Health Panabaka Lakshmi, who on Saturday said the Centre was not happy with the steps taken by the West Bengal government, on Sunday expressed her displeasure at the lack of infrastructure of an isolation ward at Bolpur sub divisional hospital.

In relief for the government, officials said none of the 1.94 lakh people screened in the affected districts were affected by the bird flu.

Amid public resistance to culling operations in some areas, personnel involved were demanding police protection.