West Bengal has not yet recovered from the avian flu menace and another deadly virus seems to be tightening its grip in some districts of the state.

Cooch Behar District Magistrate Rajesh Sinha on Monday confirmed that the dreaded Anthrax virus has attacked cattle in the district.

The death of 14 cows in Vurungamari and Vojonechora villages, under Mathabhanga subdivision in the district, has created panic in the area. The veterinary officials, who went to the spot, diagnosed the presence of the deadly virus in the blood of the dead cattle, Sinha said.

''The cows died after blood oozed out from the nostrils,'' he said, adding that the vaccination programme has already started.

The administration had already directed the villagers not to drink cow's milk and asked them not to take the cattle to the field for grazing.

Death of about approximately nine cattleheads, including cow, goat and bull, was reported from English Bazar in Malda since January 25. District Magistrate Chitta Ranjan Das said suspected anthrax might be the cause.

''A mysterious disease also killed some 2000 wild bees in an abondoned house at English Bazar, creating panic among the local residents,'' Das said.

The samples of the dead were sent to Bhopal's High Security Animals Diseases Laboratory for tests, he added.