Margram, (Birbhum), Jan. 18: Around 400 “potential carriers” of the bird flu virus who come from as far away as Siberia every year continue to crowd a lake in Parulia village.

Parulia Dighi, only 5km from the flu-hit part of Mayureswar block, has traditionally been a haven for the birds who stay from the onset of winter to February.

Their occasional shrill cries broke the silence around the lake today but did not reach the animal husbandry department.

“The birds come here every winter. We love them. But no official has visited the area or told us about the dangers they pose to us,” said Bhagirath Let.

Told about how the virus could travel trough these birds like the chickens in his backyard, Bhagirath, 55, said he was hearing about such a possibility for the first time.

Animal resources officials said they were not aware of any migratory bird habitat here. “Please give us the name of the area and our team will go there,” said a senior official.

Burdwan district forest officer Kalyan Kumar Ghosh, who is also in charge of Birbhum, said he had not received any instruction from the district administration about steps to be taken.

“A team from the government of India’s wild life wing will visit the district tomorrow,” said Ghosh.

A forest official said the migratory birds run the risk of travelling through affected areas and coming in contact with local birds in infected zones. These birds are also swimming in the Parulia lake, leaving their droppings and feathers in the water and the land around from where infection may spread.

The central team will collect blood samples of birds in three lakes in Bolpur and the one in Parulia and send them to Bhopal for tests. “The migratory birds will be culled if the samples test positive,” Ghosh said.

However, district magistrate Tapan Kumar Som said the administration has already decided to kill the birds. “We’ll complete the culling operation in the villages and start the operation in these water bodies,” he said.